Tests of The Sakura Card Mistress
by Sakura Maxwell
Summary: Ch.10 up! Decent length | A new enemy appears and Sakura has to fight her. Meanwhile, Yue wonders how he can show Sakura his true feelings for her. YuexSak R+R
1. Unknown

Tests of The Sakura Card Mistress  
One-Unknown  
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
Behind his eyes, Yue could see his mistress chatting, laughing, and having a grand old time with her best friend, Tomoyo. He felt envious that his other part, Yukito, could share the same fun and happiness with them.   
  
Oh, stop it. You are the mistress's guardian. You shouldn't have any feelings for her.  
  
Ah, but how her eyes danced with glee and enjoyment. Her beautiful chestnut hair swayed in the wind as they ate ice cream cones. He caught himself staring through Yukito's eyes. How wonderful she was to him, his one and only dream. No, he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. No, no. They were not destined to be. But how he longed to hold her, to comfort her in her time of need, even though she was no child anymore.  
  
No, not the ten year old he faced before. Now she was eighteen years old, her hair more glossier and shiny, eyes deeper and more emerald green. She had grown up beautifully, form perfect. She was almost as tall as Yukito, which surprised Yue very much, since he thought she'd be a tad short when she grew up.  
  
She still carried the Clow key everywhere she went, even though she was the Sakura Card mistress. Her magic was even more powerful than ever, and Yue even believed it was greater than his own. Of course, he was probably right, her power had increased whenever she captured those Clow cards and turned them into Sakura cards.  
  
Inwardly, he sighed. Oh, sweet mistress, you do not know how much I want to be with you...   
  
His urge to stare at her must have come through because he could see Sakura looking at him, or rather, Yukito. "Yukito-san, why are you staring at me?" she asked in confusion. Yue felt his cheeks turning red. But Yukito shook his head and blinked. "I was? Oh, gomen ne, Sakura-chan. I didn't mean to," he said sincerely. Sakura smiled her wide, happy smile and said, "It's okay!" She checked her watch. "Oh! I have to go back home and check on Kero-chan! He may have eaten the entire fridge."  
  
Tomoyo and Yukito laughed at this, but Yue frowned. I wonder why Kerberus loves food so much. He surely doesn't need it to live.  
  
He could see Sakura bowing at Tomoyo and Yukito and his heart lurched. I want to tell her.. But how can I? Her heart has been broken before... And it had. She and Syaoran had broken up and he had returned to Hong Kong. He himself, or rather, Yukito, had comforted Sakura in her time of need, as Yue so much wanted to do himself. She had really broken down when she recieved a letter from Syaoran, saying he couldn't visit anymore because of the Li family traditions and his responsibilities.   
  
No, they were still friends, but it hurt Sakura that she couldn't see him again. It seemed she was just losing all her friends. Even Eriol was gone, and Kaho, too. She even missed Supi. Though Eriol had pretended to be Sakura's enemy, he was really helping her and she loved him as a friend for that. And Kaho had given her clues about when the cards needed to be caught. Yue could tell Sakura missed them all very much.  
  
And even that Chinese girl, Meiling. Even though she had been mean to Sakura, they ended up being friends and Sakura missed her also. He could feel pity for his mistress. Losing the ones she loved.. She had only known them all for a short period of time, but it still didn't change the fact that she loved them all deeply. The only friends she could keep were the ones she already had from the beginning, Tomoyo, Kero, Yukito, and Yue himself.   
  
He gasped inwardly as he saw Sakura walking away down the sidewalk. He made Yukito reach his hand out and say, "Hey, Sakura-chan, wait up! I'll walk you home!" He could see Sakura stop and look back, mildly confused. But she swept it away and smiled. "Okay, Yukito-san!"  
  
Yukito ran up to her and looked partially confused himself. Sakura blinked. "What's wrong?" she asked. Yukito shook his head and said, "I guess the other me wanted to talk to you," he said simply. Yue's cheeks became really red. Well, he isn't lying.   
  
Sakura shrugged and suggested, "Well, then why don't you let him talk to me, okay, Yukito-san?" Yukito nodded and Yue emerged. "Hello, mistress," he said.  
  
Sakura hugged Yue tightly. Yue's eyes widened. He did not expect this, no, not at all. The mistress, hugging him?? It was absurd. "I'm so glad to see you again!" she said happily in his chest. His lips twitched into a small smile. She looked up at him, still holding him, and asked, "Did you want to talk to me about something, Yue-san?" Yue could feel his throat tighten. Is this it?   
  
Sakura was staring at him with big emerald eyes. Her arms were wrapped around his waist. He felt the sudden urge to bend to her level and just kiss those soft lips with his own. How sensational that would be. He brushed those thoughts aside and said lowly, "I was just wondering if all is well, mistress."  
  
Sakura giggled and said, "You know, you don't have to call me mistress. You could simply call me Sakura." Yue shook his head and said, "That would be disrespecting you, mistress." Sakura pouted and her arms fell to her sides. Yue flinched. Did I say something wrong?   
  
Then Sakura looked up at him and said, "Hey, what could you call me without disrespecting me? Besides mistress?" Yue thought about that. He shrugged and said, "Sakura-sama?" Sakura twitched her nose. "I guess, it's better than- Hey, what's that?" she asked, pointing at something in the sky behind Yue. He turned around and saw a black bird flying. "It's just a... No, wait."  
  
He could feel something. Magical... That is no ordinary bird. He didn't like this. Not one bit. "Mis-Sakura-sama, stay back, let me handle this," he said sternly. Sakura shook her head. "I can feel it too, Yue-san. I want to help." Yue waved his hand at her. "No, you might get hurt." Sakura puffed her cheeks and said, "I'm not ten anymore, Yue-san! I can defend myself!" and she grabbed her Clow key and chanted.  
  
"Key which conceals the power of the stars, reveal your true self before me. I, Sakura, command this by contract. Release!" and the long magenta staff appeared. Its star was now long and pointed, rather than short and chubby. And the wings on the circle were now longer and much more sleek.   
  
Yue looked at her, mildly surprised. "Sakura-sama!" he said. But she ignored him and called out, "Let's Fly!" and the two wings became larger bird wings. She hopped on and soared in the sky, heading in the direction of the black bird. "No, Sakura-sama!" Yue shouted. "What are you doing?!" He growled in frustration and took off, following her.  
  
The black bird spotted Sakura coming and it shrieked out. It suddenly became larger as Sakura flew closer. Soon, it was as big as a large building. Sakura gasped in surprise. "Oh no! Thunder will take care of it." She landed on top a roof of a house and Fly returned. "Thunder, release!" Thunder shot out and hit the black bird. It shrieked again and tried to peck at Thunder, while it tried to fly at the same time.   
  
"Yes, Thunder is winning!" Sakura cried out happily. The black bird lost balance and fell onto the road. Sakura narrowed her eyes and held her hand in front of her face as dust spread all around her. When it cleared she dropped her hand. Thunder was crackling around the black bird, but it seemed to have no effect. "Ah! Thunder, return!" Sakura yelled, "Jump, release!" Two wings appeared on her shoes and she jumped down by the bird.  
  
"Okay, bird, you are going down!" Sakura yelled and took out another card. "Firey, release!" Firey appeared and swirled around the black bird, burning its pitch black feathers, making it scream. Such a horrible sound, Sakura had to cover her ears. But it wouldn't block the nasty voice. Its powerful shriek made Sakura lose her footing and fly backwards. "Ahhhhhhh!!"  
  
Yue glanced up as he landed and saw Sakura heading straight for him. He turned around and braced himself. Then his mistress came at him full force, making him stumble. He wrapped his arms around her to shield her from the rocks and dust flying about. Soon the voice stopped and Sakura opened her eyes slightly. The black bird was lying on the ground, dead. Or at least, she thought it was. Then she realized she was being held by someone's arms. She looked up and blinked.   
  
"Yue-san?" she asked. Yue stared down at her, then his cheeks turned a soft shade of pink and he let her go. "I-I was just pro-protecting you from the rocks and du-dust, Sakura-sama," he stuttered. He was aware that he had held her tightly, afraid if he let her go, she'd be gone forever. A silly thing really.   
  
Sakura smiled and said, "Arigato, Yue-san." She turned around to look at the black bird. "Is it...?" she began. Yue stared at the bird with slow recognition. "Is it dead?" he asked. "No, it still lives like you and I. And it is no bird. It's the..."  
  
"Dark Fly, return!" an unknown voice commanded.   
  
Sakura and Yue jerked their heads in the direction from where the voice came from. They could see a shadow standing on a building. Its face was hidden in shadow and a cape flowed behind it. Its hands were raised and they saw a card fly into its grasp.   
  
"Who is that?" Sakura asked softly. Yue shook his head slowly. "I do not know, but I will find out," he said and flapped his gigantic white wings. He flew up to the building and landed by the figure. It was wearing nothing but black, and it held a dark wand in its hand. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice sharp. The figure smirked and Yue noticed two wings on the figures' shoes. But they weren't like the Jump Card's wings. No, these wings were dragon like. He looked back at the figures face, and he could see two ice cold blue eyes. He stepped back. Those eyes sent chills down his spine. The figure then laughed softly and jumped back, disappearing in shadow.  
  
Yue frowned in frustration and turned around. He looked back at the spot where the figure was before he jumped down and flew back to Sakura. She was clutching her staff close by her chest, and there was fear in her eyes. Yue blinked and asked, "What is it?" Sakura just remained silent. He narrowed his eyes and shook her shoulders gently. "Sakura-sama, what's wrong?!" he asked more roughly. Sakura blinked and shook her head. "Wha..? Yue-san, please stop shaking me," she said. Yue let her go and said, "Are you okay?" Sakura nodded slowly. Then she looked up at him and smiled. "I'm okay, why do you ask?"  
  
Yue raised a brow and said, "You were clutching your staff and you looked like something spooked you. Are you absolutely sure that you are fine?" Sakura looked down. "Um, yea, I think so.. It's just..." She held out her staff in front of her and said, "I saw a girl. When you went on that building to see who was there, I saw a girl. Well, I heard her first. She was in back of me. She was..." Sakura lifted the staff slightly. "She was laughing... Very softly... When I turned to face her, she was dressed completely in black... And she..she had a staff, just like mine."  
  
Yue's eyes widened in shock. A staff, just like Sakura-sama's?! "What did the staff look like?" he asked more calmly than he felt. Sakura shrugged. "It was gray... The staff...and the star was silver..the wings were pitch black... And they weren't like the wings on my staff, no, they were like dragon wings..." She shivered. "It felt so..so.."  
  
"Evil?" Yue filled in. Sakura nodded and put her hand down. "She had a dark aura around her... Yue-san, do you know who that was?" Yue looked up at the now darkening sky and asked, "Tell me something, when she disappeared, I assume she left," Sakura nodded, "did she just 'vanish'? As in just...gone? Or did she walk away?" Sakura looked puzzled, but answered, "She just vanished. Not a trace of her left." Yue nodded. "I thought so. Sakura-sama, what you saw was only a reflection, a copy of the real girl that I saw." He turned and faced the building he saw the figure. "What you saw.. Was what I went to investigate." He looked back at Sakura, noticed her confused expression, and continued.  
  
"Remember when you saw the figure on top of this building?" Sakura nodded. "Well, when I went to see who it was, it also wore black. And it had the same wand you were describing. And let me ask you this. What color was the girl's eyes?" Sakura twirled the wand in her hands slowly and said, "Blue... Ice.. Cold eyes..." Yue gritted his teeth. "So I am right, after all. Sakura-sama, what you saw was a mirror image of the girl I saw on the roof of this building. Don't you get it? She is like you, she is a Card Captor."  
  
Sakura gasped. A card captor? That's impossible! I thought there were only the Clow Cards, and I turned them into the Sakura Cards! "How could she possibly be what I am?" Sakura asked. Yue's wings suddenly sagged and he answered, "When Clow Reed made the Clow Cards, he also tried making a copy of the Clow Cards, except, they had the powers of darkness. He called those the Dark Clow Cards. Now, he sealed these cards away in a book, much like the Clow Cards, because they were pure evil. And only an evil heart could obtain them. So I suppose that girl was chosen to be the rightful owner of the Dark Clow Cards." He placed both hands on Sakura's shoulders and said, "Sakura-sama, you have yourself a new task at hand. A new enemy. Your enemy is that girl."  
  
Sakura stepped back. "I have to fight her?" she asked. Yue nodded. "You must, or she will take over the Sakura Cards." Sakura looked down. Then she looked up suddenly and said, "If she's like me, then that means she must have guardians, too!" Yue nodded. "Yes, of course. I forgot about those two. Her guardians are similar to Kerberus and myself." He released Sakura's shoulders and pressed his hands together. "Their names are Kiri and Tsumetai. Kiri's symbol is Mist, of course. And Tsumetai's is, obviously, Ice. You so know what their powers are."  
  
Sakura nodded. Yue smiled a bit. "Good, now Kiri is kind of like Supi or Kero. He is trapped in his small form until he is needed. When he is need, he turns into a gigantic wolf, and he has dragon like wings. And Tsumetai is more like myself and Rubymoon. She, like Kiri, has dragon wings. You don't need to know what she wears."  
  
Sakura nodded and returned her staff into the key. Then she looked at Yue. "Let's go home, ne?" Yue nodded. "I'll...fly you home..if that is what you wish," Yue managed to say. Sakura's eyes lightened up and she said happily, "I'd love it if you'd do that! Arigato, Yue-san!" and hugged him. Yue was a bit startled by her reaction, but he shrugged and lifted her in his arms. Sakura moved her arms to his neck and hung on as Yue jumped up and flew into the now star-lit sky.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"WHAT?!"   
  
Kero spat out his piece of cake and stared at Sakura. "You mean the Dark Clow Cards are here?!" he asked, enraged. Sakura nibbled her piece of cake and nodded. "Yea, that's what Yue said, anyway." Kero started flying back and forth. "Hmm.. That means the guardians are here as well. Okay, Sakura, we're gonna have to find this Dark Card Captor and put her in her place!"  
  
Sakura looked up at him, startled. "What do you mean, 'put her in her place', Kero-chan?" Kero stopped and floated in front of her. "I mean, we have to make sure she goes back to wherever she came from. Plus," he added, "we have to fight her. To tell her we're stronger, back off." Sakura sighed. "I guess, but how do you suppose we find her?" Kero shrugged.  
  
"How about we do a reading?" Kero suggested. Sakura smiled. "Yea, of course!" She went to her table and took out her Sakura Cards. She cleared off everything on her desk and spread out the cards, trying to get rid of everything in her mind. She sighed and gathered the cards and cut the deck into three groups, and then back into a whole deck. She then laid nine cards, picked randomly, on her desk in a large diamond at the center, along with the rest of the deck to the right. Then she began her incantation.   
  
"Cards shaped by me, answer my question. Show me the truth behind my situation." A rush of warmth burst from the cards and surrounded her, making her hair whirl around.   
  
When it died dow, she placed her hand over the first card at the top of diamond and flipped it over. "It's The Windy," she read aloud. Kero flew over to her crossed his arms together. "The Windy, hmm, remember, like the Mirror. Your enemy knows who you are. I suppose that explains why and how she knew that you were a Card Captor. Now flip over the three cards in the middle," he said. "And remember that these three cards are the one your enemy can use for guidance." Sakura flipped over the next card.  
  
"It's The Watery," Sakura said to Kero. "The Watery, eh? That means opening someone's heart..or cooperation," Kero said and then pointed to the second card. "Now let's see what this one is."  
  
"The Sword."  
  
Kero landed on Sakura's shoulder and said, "The Sword is the power of destruction." Sakura gave him a confused glance, but shrugged and flipped the third, and final card over.  
  
Sakura blinked and pushed herself back a bit. "Wha..? The Sweet..." Kero blinked, then began laughing. Sakura turned to look at him. "What's so funny, Kero-chan?" she asked, confusion obvious. Kero fell off and landed on the desk, laughing his big head off. Sakura pouted and yelled, "KERO-CHAN!! STOP LAUGHING!" Kero finally stopped, and sat back up.   
  
"Gomen ne," Kero said between gasps of breath. "But that is just really odd." Sakura blinked and asked, "What does The Sweet mean?" Kero pointed to the card and said, "The Sweet means new love, or a heart that is dependant." Sakura dropped the card and clamped her hands to her cheeks, which were burning red.   
  
"Hooooooee!!"  
  
Kero waited for Sakura to calm herself down before he instructed, "Now, flip over the card at the bottom." Sakura placed her hand over the bottom card. "This will tell you what your enemy is after."  
  
Sakura flipped the card over.  
  
"Oh, it's The Light.."  
  
Kero blinked. "The Light?" he asked in a weird tone. Sakura nodded. "The Light... What does it mean...?" Kero shook his head. "I don't know. But when you find out, you better tell me or Yue," Kero said seriously. Sakura nodded slightly. "Uh huh..."  
  
The Light... What is my enemy after that includes The Light...?  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Touya slammed his cup of tea down roughly on the wooden table and looked Yukito straight in the eye. "WHAT?!" he asked in shock. Yukito flinched and said, "Well, I feel like Sakura-chan is in danger. I mean, Yue was with her when they took that walk home." Touya sat back down in his seat and said wearily, "If he knows what happened, maybe he should be the one talking.." Yukito nodded. "You're probably right, here." Yukito closed himself and Yue came forth.  
  
"What is it you want to know?" Yue asked flatly. Touya ran his hand through his dark brown hair and said, "Can you please tell me all that happened while you and Sakura were walking?" Yue nodded and explained they had encountered a huge black bird, Sakura tried to fight it, but it was too strong, then a figure called the bird to her and he tried to see who it was, and at the same time, Sakura met the mirror image of this girl. Then he had taken her home.  
  
"So now Sakura has a new enemy?" Touya asked, exasperated. Yue nodded silently. "Can you describe her?" Again, Yue nodded. "She wore all black, had ice cold blue eyes and had the same staff as Sakura, except it was darker. And I believe her hair was a dark hazel, but I couldn't see that well." Touya looked up at Yue and asked, "Dark hazel? Kind of like a darker version of Sakura's?" Yue nodded. Touya rubbed his chin. "I think I saw her somewhere.. By Sakura's high school."  
  
Yue turned on him sharply. "You saw her?!" he asked. Touya shrugged. "I think I did. She had dark hazel hair, wore black, but I couldn't see her eyes. She had a mysterious feeling around her as I was passing by. She was looking up in the window where Sakura's room was. She kind of gave me the creeps so I didn't stay looking at her for long."  
  
Yue's wings reached the ceiling and he said thoughtfully, "Yes, that was probably her alright. And I think I know why she was staring at Sakura-sama's classroom. Yes... Of course, otherwise she would not be here!" Touya looked at Yue with confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked. Yue brushed his question away. "It's nothing that concerns you."   
  
Touya narrowed his eyes and said, "It concerns me alright. Sakura is my little sister! If she has a new enemy then it concerns me. Got it?" Yue shrugged and said calmly, "I got it. Let me ask you something, how do you feel about Sakura-sama?" Touya blinked, puzzled by the abrupt change of subject, and said, "Well, she's my little sister, I really care about her. And... And I don't know what I would do if I was to lose her..." He shook his head and laughed. "I wonder why I'm telling you any of this, it's not like you'd know how I'd feel." And then Touya wished he hadn't said that.  
  
But Yue remained silent. Then, "And how do you..feel about that boy, Syaoran. How did you feel about him loving Sakura-sama?" Touya cranked his neck and sighed. "I never liked the kid much. I mean, the first time I met him was when he was...harrassing my sister. So I never got a really good impression of him. When I found out he liked Sakura, I kind of went ballistic. But whatever, I wanted Sakura to be happy, and she was happy with him. But then he had to go to Hong Kong and broke up with her, I guess he wasn't very much of a boyfriend."  
  
Yue frowned. "He had his reasons." Touya mumbled something under his breath and said, "Reasons? Whatever. If he knew he had to take on the family responsibility, he should have never gone out with Sakura. That no good-" Yue cut him off by saying, "And what about Sakura-sama liking anyone else?" This took Touya by surprise.  
  
"Sakura likes another person??" Touya asked. Yue shook his head. "No, she does not, well not that I know of. But I am asking you what you would think if she did." Touya shrugged and sipped some of his tea. "I suppose it just depends on the person she likes. If it's someone I know, it would be better than a schoolboy I don't know. Why do you ask?" Yue folded his wings and said, "No reason. Well, I shall be going now, I don't want to take time away from you and Yukito," and his form left and went to Yukito's own.  
  
"Um, what did he say?" Yukito asked, sitting down. Touya sighed and said, "Nothing important, just that Sakura has a new enemy.." Yukito smiled. "Your young Sakura is growing up, you shouldn't worry too much. After all, she is the most powerful sorceress that we know of." Touya grinned. "Yep, she sure is."   
  
"I think I'll go to sleep now, it's pretty late and I have class tomorrow," Yukito said as he stood up. "Care to join me?" Touya grinned and followed Yukito into their bedroom.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Man, I'm tired..." grumbled Kero as he slipped into his little drawer. "Time to take a little nap..." Sakura blinked. "Kero-chan, you're always sleeping. How can you be so tired?" she asked in amazement. But the tiny guardian was already asleep. Sakura smiled and climbed in her own bed.   
  
I wonder who that girl was...  
  
Sakura turned over. I'll find out more about her tomorrow. And with that, the Sakura Card mistress dreamt.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura dreamt she was on that same building. The same building she always was on when she met a new person. She had seen Syaoran and Mizuki-san in her dreams around the building, and the tower.   
  
And like her first dream of Syaoran, all the Sakura Cards were floating around her, but Kero wasn't with her. "What's happening?" Sakura asked no one. She looked up at the tower and saw the girl. The girl in black.  
  
Sakura gasped and stepped back. "Who is she?" The girls' ice blue eyes bore into Sakura's emerald green ones. Then she could see the figure pull out a wand. "It's that wand!" Sakura said aloud. "The same one I saw!" The figure then threw a card in the air and brought the wand down on it. It shimmered and diappeared, and Sakura could see the figure jumping off the tower.  
  
"What's that?" Sakura asked in a whisper, because on the girl's feet were two small dragon wings. "Almost like The Jump card..." She stepped back involuntarily as the figue landed just inches away from her. Now she could see the face more clearly. And when she did, she gasped and stepped back yet again.  
  
"You look just like me!" she cried out. And it was true. The mysterious girl has every single feature of Sakura's face. All that was different was her eyes, they were so cold and evil looking they sent shivers down Sakura's spine. The girl smirked and put her hand out in front of her, in front of Sakura, beckoning her to come closer. But Sakura shook her head and put her staff out.  
  
The girl laughed, a cruel sound, and pulled out yet another strange card. And Sakura could see that clearly also. "They look just like the Clow Cards..." she whispered fearfully. The figure threw it in the air and brought her staff apon it, calling out, "Dark Thunder!" There was a flash of lightning and the crackling of bolts and the girl was gone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura's eyes snapped open and she sat straight up in bed. She was breathing rapidly, as if she just ran a marathon, and her head was beaded with sweat. She clutched the sheets in a death grip and waiting for herself to calm down. "It was only a dream, it was only a dream," she kept repeating to herself over and over softly.   
  
Soon her breathing evened, and her girp loosened. But she was still spooked about the dream. She looked just like me... But her eyes were so cold and...forbiding... And it was like she had a new set of Clow Cards... That must be her, and the Dark Clow Cards Yue was telling me.... She shivered and hugged herself tightly.  
  
She climbed out of bed and opened her window. She silently summonded her staff and The Windy to take her up to the roof. There she sat down and hugged herself tightly still and buried her head in her knees, wishing... Wishing..that...  
  
I wish Yue was here...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yukito sat straight up in bed. He blinked and turned to look at Touya, who was sleeping peacefully beside him. He sighed. I felt something... His hand roamed over the small table, as he tried to find his glasses. But behind him, Yue was not feeling comfortable at all.  
  
Sakura-san, she is in distress... I must go to her at once...   
  
Yukito must have sensed this because he got slowly out of bed and snuck out the door. "Okay, Yue. Do what you must," Yukito whispered as the familiar blackness swept around him and was transformed into Yue. Now in his guardian form, Yue walked to the door, opened it, closed it, and took flight in the direction of Sakura's house.  
  
It wasn't long before he arrived at his destination, but was a bit surprised to see his mistress sitting on the roof of her house, hugging herself tightly and shivering from the cold. He was suddenly filled with much concern and landed softly next to her.  
  
"Sakura-sama, what are you doing out here at a time like this?" the worried guardian asked, folding his wings. Sakura looked up in surprisement and turned her head to face Yue. "Yue-san!" she exclaimed. "I didn't know you were here! Why did you come?" Yue tugged at his robe nervously and said, "I felt a need to come and see if you were all right."  
  
Sakura blinked in confusion. He can sense emotions? She blinked again, then smiled warmly. "Everything if okay, Yue-san, you can go back to Touya if you want." Yue didn't know why, but he felt hurt by her words. It was like she didn't want him around. He swallowed unexpectant tears welling up inside him and sat down next to Sakura.  
  
"Do not try to make me feel relieved," he said nonchantly, "because I know something is distressing you." Sakura stared into his gentle, calm light-blue orbs and felt herself wanting to get closer. So she reached out her whole body and pulled Yue in a soft hug. Yue blinked and looked down at his mistress, then he smiled and wrapped his arms around her. Even if all she wants is a person to lean on, then let me be the one she leans on...  
  
She felt so...protected in his arms. As if she didn't need anyone but Yue to make her happy. The two children of magic stayed like that for some time before Sakura remembered why she was so distressed in the first place.  
  
She removed her head from his warm chest and looked up at him. "Yue-san, the reason I was so scared in the first place was because..." Yue looked down at her kindly. "Please, tell me, Sakura-sama, so that I may be helpful in anyway," he said softly. Sakura smiled a bit and continued, "I had a dream... A scary dream..." Sakura felt like she was seven years old again, in her fathers arms whenever she had a nightmare. "I dreamt about that girl..." Sakura could feel Yue's grip on her tighten. "I dreamt that I saw her, face to face. She jumped in front of me and was holding that same staff I saw earlier.. And she was beckoning me to come closer to her... To come with her, almost. And then.."  
  
She didn't know what was happening, but Sakura's feelings got all twisted and she felt the need to do something..rather unexpected, that it shocked even herself. Being in Yue's arms, it made her want to... reach up to him and... Oh, stop it! You are the Sakura Card mistress. He's only doing this because you are the mistress.   
  
"Is something wrong, Sakura-sama?" Yue asked, when Sakura did not speak for some time. Sakura shook her head. "Nothing, nothing at all.." she said. "Um, oh yea... Then she, she pulled out a card, a card that looked just like the Clow Cards except they were black and gray, rather than orange and yellow..." Then she buried her face into his chest again. "But the most scariest thing," she said, her voice a bit muffled, "was that when I saw the girl, she looked exactly like me. She had the same features I did, except her eyes were so evil and cold."  
  
Yue's left arm around Sakura loosened slightly and he lifted it and stroked her hair softly. It was so fine and silky... I could feel this hair forever... He ran his fingers through it over and over again. He could feel Sakura lean against him more and heard her sigh. Yue then took his right from Sakura's waist and lifted her chin slowly, left arm supporting her head.  
  
"Sakura-sama," he whispered to her softly, "It is late, and I should be going now. I don't want to worry your brother or your father by standing out here like this with you." Sakura smiled a bit, then said, "Okay, Yue-san. And please don't tell anyone about my dream... Okay? It would worry Touya and he doesn't need to have anymore problems on his mind than he already has. Onegai?"  
  
Yue frowned a little at this, but only said, "If it is your desire." He let her go completely and stepped back. "Oyasumi nasai, Sakura-sama," he said while bowing. He then stood to his full height and flapped his white wings and took off into the sky, the beautiful, glowing moon shining with him.  
  
  
I do not own CCS, no sue. ^ ^  
  
  
  
  



	2. Revealing

Testing The Sakura Card Mistress  
Two-Revealing  
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
Sakura rolled over and mumbled something as the alarm clock went off. "I'm awake..." She pulled the pillow over her head to block out the blaring noise. Kero grumbled under his breath and grabbed the alarm clock and hurled it at Sakura's head. It landed by her ear and went, "BRIIIIIIIING!"  
  
"AHHHHH!!! I'M UP!!"  
  
Sakura bolted up while breathing heavily. She glared at Kero, who was laughing and spinning in the air from Sakura's tremendous voice. "Bwa hahahahahahahaha!!!" he laughed at her, and then whacked into the wall, right smack dab in the face. "Ow..oww...That hurts..." he mumbled as he slid down the wall slowly.  
  
Sakura "hmphed" and jumped out of her bed. She walked to her drawer and got out a shirt and shorts. "Thank God for weekends," Sakura said aloud as she changed into her clothes. She grabbed her brush from the drawer and brushed her hair quickly. "I gotta go meet Tomoyo for some kind of recording," she told Kero before walking out the bedroom door. "Probably more frilly dresses..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Another frilly dress??" Sakura asked as she stared down at the costume she was wearing. It, of course, had plenty of frills, all different colors and the dress splitted at the ends. And it had a huge bow in the back, with the ribbon flying out. And in her hair she had two clips that were butterflies.  
  
Tomoyo smiled and said, "It's not a frilly dress, Sakura-chan! I think it looks so kawaii on you!" Sakura sweatdropped and said, exasperated, "I'm only doing this for you, Tomoyo-chan." Tomoyo grinned and put the recorder on. "Okay, Sakura-chan!"  
  
Sakura sighed and called out, "Release!" and her wand appeared. "Let's Fly!" she said and two wings replaced the smaller ones. And she was off into the sky, soaring with the birds. She laughed. ~This is fun!~  
  
"That's it!" exclaimed Tomoyo. "Keep doing that! How about more effect!" Sakura nodded and landed on a nearby tree branch. She threw a card in the air and commanded, "Flower, release!" The card shimmered and disappeared. Then all kinds of blossoms pooled down on the two girls.   
  
Then Sakura jumped down and flashed a pose. "That's awesome!" Tomoyo cried out happily and stopped the recorder. "You rule, Sakura-chan!" Sakura grinned and blushed slightly. "Arigato, Tomoyo-chan!" she said. "When are you going to do the next-" Sakura stopped her sentence abruptly when she saw a flash of light coming from the sky.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan, duck!" Sakura yelled and pushed Tomoyo down to the ground. She fell down and barely missed the bolt of thunder that was aimed at the two girls. Tomoyo raised her head slightly. "Is it gone?" she asked shakily. Sakura darted her eyes and answered, "I think so. Are you okay?"  
  
Tomoyo nodded and stood up. "Where did that bolt come from?" she asked. Sakura got up and dusted herself off. "I don't know..." she whispered. Then she heard laughter from the trees. She looked in the direction of the voice and called out, "Who are you?! Show yourself!"  
  
The figure laughted again and Sakura saw a black shape jump down the tree with amazing agility and talent. The girl looked up and pointed her staff at Sakura. "Wha...?" Sakura began. She could see the girl smile and then gray shots came shooting out of the tip, right at Sakura. "Oh no!" she pulled out a card. "Shield, protect me from Shot!"  
  
The yellow bubble surrounded Sakura and Tomoyo and the shots bounced off. "It's going to hit that girl," Tomoyo said softly. Sakura clentched her wand. "No, she'll do something..." And Sakura was right. The girl dodged all of the shots easily. She grinned evilly, showing white teeth, and said, almost unaudible, "My turn."  
  
She threw a card in the air and brought her wand down on with such great force sparks came out of the card. "Dark Sword, release!" she cried out and the black wand turned into The Dark Sword. She held it out in front of her and at Sakura. Then she charged.  
  
Sakura blinked. "What's she thinking? She can't get past Shield!" she said. Tomoyo shook her head. "What if... What if she can! Sakura, you better run!" she said with concern. Sakura's grip on the staff tightened. "Ah!" The mysterious girl brought the sword right down on the shield. Sakura stepped back. ~That face... And her eyes... They're so emotionless..~  
  
Yes, the girl's ice blue eyes held no emotion whatsoever as she kept forcing the sowrd through the shield. "Oh no, the shield isn't working!" Sakura cried out in panic. "What am I going to do?" Tomoyo looked fearful. "Run, Sakura-chan!..While I catch this on tape!" Sakura sweatdropped, but the yelped out as the sword cut throught and narrowly missed her face.  
  
"Jump Card, release!" Two small wings appeared on Sakura's shoes and she jumped up as the sword was brought down on the grass. The girl yanked it out with no effort and proceeded on Sakura. She ran at her with full speed and Sakura almost got slashed by it. "She's too fast, what am I going to do?!"  
  
She gasped as she found herself running into a dead end. "The place is covered in too much trees to make it out safely," she said to herself as the girl advanced, taking her time, playing with its prey. Sakura whirled around. "What do you want?!" she demanded the figure. The girl merely stayed silent, features unchanged. She raised the sword and slashed air. She kept slashing repeatedly at Sakura until she made contact with the Card Captors' arm.  
  
"Ahhhh!!!" Sakura cried out and slid to the ground. Her left arm was bleeding severely, and it was immobile. She looked up at the figure with shock and in a split second, the tip of the blade was at her throat. "No, please..." The girl's eyes were still unfazed. "Say...Goodbye," she said nonchantly and pulled the sword back, ready to slash it at her neck, when a voice called out, "Sakura-chan!"  
  
The girl stopped right when the blade touched Sakura's skin. A thin trickle of blood slid down the blade. Sakura looked up, wincing, and said, "Yukito-san! what are you doing here?!" Yukito stared at Sakura's damage and didn't say anything as Yue emerged.  
  
"So you are the Card Captor of The Dark Clow Cards!" Yue said to the girl, "Leave my mistress alone or face the consequences." The girl smirked and pulled the sword back. She turned and faced Yue. The sword dissolved into thin air and her wand was in her hand again. "So, have you given up?" Yue asked, getting more and more anxious as Sakura's wound bled more and more, and she started losing consciousness.   
  
The girl must have noticed this somehow because she spoke in a very even, yet low tone, saying, "Yue, Guardian of The Clow, Guardian of The Sakura Card Mistress. A pleasure to finally meet you. And now I must go, I'll fight again, count on it," and with that she disappeared. Yue blinked in shock, then shrugged. "So all Sakura-sama was fighting was The Dark Mirror. That girl has her reasons for not fighting Sakura-sama personally... Maybe in the hopes of not killing her too soon, if she is as powerful as I think she is..." He then turned his full attention to Sakura.   
  
He ran next to her and shook her gently. "Sakura-sama, wake up. Wake up!" he said softly, but she won't awaken. Yue stared at the ugly gash on her left arm and tore a piece of cloth from his outfit and wrapped it tightly around Sakura's wound. Then he scooped her up in his arms and walked out into the clearing.   
  
"Is she going to be okay?" Tomoyo asked in a worried tone. Yue nodded. "Please go back home, you are not needed at this moment," he said curtly before flapping his wings and flying in the direction of Sakura's house.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"HOW COULD YOU LET THAT HAPPEN?!"  
  
Touya banged his fist on the table so hard it shook. "Yue is supposed to protect Sakura when she needs him!! What was he doing?!" he asked angrily at Tomoyo. Tomoyo winced. She had never seen Touya this mad before. "I-I don't know," she stammered. "Yukito-san just came running up, asking where Sakura-chan was. And then he turned into Yue." Touya growled in frustration and turned on Yukito.   
  
"Yuki! How could you let that happen?!" he repeated. "Sakura could have died. I'm supposed to protect my little sister! But I can't, so you have to!" Yukito looked down sadly and replied, "Gomen ne, Touya. I didn't know what was going on... I just felt that Sakura-chan was in danger so I rushed to the woods... I didn't know she was fatally hurt..." Yukito took off his glasses and wiped them silently with his jacket.  
  
Touya sighed and placed his hands on Yukito's shoulders gently. "I'm so sorry I got mad at you, Yuki. But i just can't bear it if my little sister... Is pulled away from me... I don't want to lose another person I love..." he whispered. Yukito looked up at him and smiled. "It's okay, Touya. I know how much you love Sakura-chan. We all love her dearly." Tomoyo nodded.   
  
Kero came flying down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Hey, hey," he greeted grimly. "Sakura-san is awake right now. She wants to talk to Touya." Touya blinked and stood up, and started walking out of the kitchen, up the stairs into Sakura's room. Kero watched him go, then sighed. "I feel sorry for Sakura-san, Touya's gonna be yelling in her face..."   
  
Everyone sweatdropped.  
  
Touya opened Sakura's door little and peeked inside. Sakura was laying in her bed, her left arm wrapped in bandages. He could see the red coming through it and he gritted his teeth. Oh, that kid was going to pay, she was definitely going to pay for what she did to his imouto. He stepped inside and closed the door lightly. He went to Sakura's desk and pulled the chair out.  
  
"Oi, Sakura, you awake?" he asked as he put the chair by his sister's bed and sat down. He could see Sakura's eyes open and look at him. "O-Oniisan," she said, her voice quivering from loss of blood. "Is Tomoyo okay?" Touya smiled inside. ~She always cares about everyone but herself.~  
  
"Tomoyo is fine, she didn't get hurt," he said, then in a darker tone, "But you did. Who was that girl?" Sakura closed her eyes. "I don't know, I just don't know. Yue-san said she was the Card Captor of the Dark Clow Cards, but he didn't say why she came." Touya blinked. "You mean, he knows why the damned girl came?!" he asked with bafflement. Sakura shook her head.  
  
"When we first met this girl, she sent Dark Mirror to meet me, while her real self met with Yue-san. He said she never spoke to him. But," she said brushing a strand of hazel from her eyes, "I know he's hiding something..." Touya reached over and cupped his hands over Sakura's. "What do you mean 'hiding something'?" he asked.  
  
Sakura sighed. "It's like he knows her or something. Or he knows her guardians. He told me about them." She turned her head to look at Touya. "Oniisan," she said to him, "please don't blame Yue-san for this. He always does his best to protect me. Please don't...blame him..." Her sentence trailed off as she drifted back to sleep.  
  
Touya nodded and stood. He put the chair away and walked out, closing the door silently as he went. Kero flew up to him and asked, "She's okay?" Touya nodded. "Yea, she's just sleeping. We should leave her alone for now," he answered, and walked into the kitchen. "Yuki, how `bout we go home? There's no sense in you trying to talk to Sakura. She's fast asleep."  
  
Yukito blinked, and nodded. Behind him, Yue's eyes fell sadly down and he closed them. How much he wanted to see his mistress. He wanted to comfort her like that other night... To twine his fingers in that beautiful hazel hair and stare into her emerald green eyes. He could get lost in those deep eyes...  
  
Tomoyo opened the refridgerator and stuck a box inside it. "What's that?" Touya asked. Tomoyo smiled and said, "It's for Sakura-chan. It's Blueberry Cheesecake." Kero got all puppy-eyed and flew around Tomoyo. "Arigato, Arigato, Arigato, ARIGATO!" he cried out happily. Tomoyo laughed. "I shoudl be going now. Sakura-chan needs her est," she said and excused herself.   
  
Touya looked at Yukito and he nodded. The two left together. On their way out, Touya said loudly, "Kero! You better not eatn that cake for Sakura!" before closing the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Mmm... Not again... It's the Dream..."  
  
Sakura was standing on that same building. "What does it mean. Who is she?" She could see the girl in black on that very same tower, staring at her with cool, ice blue eyes. "What does she want?!"  
  
The girl stuck both her hands out at her sides and Sakura could see all different kinds of Clow Cards raining down on them. "Oh no, she's got the Cards! But I turned them into Sakura Cards!" She gasped as a Card fell by her, swaying. She reached her hand out and grabbed it. Sakura peered more closely. "It says The Life.... But Yue-san said she had the exact same cards as me..."   
  
The girl raised her hands higher and the cards came down with greater force. "Ahhh!!" Sakura cried out as a card sliced her skin. A thin trace of blood slid down her cheek as the card floated in front of Sakura. She put it in her hands and read, "The Death... That's awful!" She put The Life and The Death Card together, and unexpectantly, they shimmered and sparks flew out at Sakura. "Agh!" She winced back as the Cards combined.  
  
With a flash of light, the cards were gone, and Sakura was alone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura woke up instantly. Once again her breathing was labored and her forehead was covered with sweat. ~What do these dreams mean?!~ She shuddered and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her pajama's. "Tomoyo-chan would worry too much, so would Oniisan. And Otousan would feel bad because he can't help me no matter how hard he tries. Kero would be mad and start throwing a fit... The only person I can really count on is Yue-san...."   
  
She put her hands together and closed her eyes. ~Yue-san, please come and help me, she thought. I can't tell anyone else because they would be too much to handle. I feel like you're the only person I can talk to... Please come and help me... Yue-san...~  
  
She opened her eyes and sighed. It probably wouldn't work, but she wanted to give it a try anyway. She limbed out of bed silently and opened the window. She stuck her head out and breathed in the early morning air. She smiled as she saw a mother bird flutter to a branch and feed its young. She looked up and blinked.  
  
"Wha...?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Again, Yue felt the need to visit his mistress. So he had emerged and was now flying in the direction of her house. ~Something is going on.. I felt as if she was calling me,~ he thought. ~She has been disturbed ever since that meeting with that damned girl...~  
  
He could see her house from above and made his way down. He blinked when he saw Sakura looking out the window, staring right at him. She smiled brightly and Yue felt his cheeks go red. ~How did she know I was coming...?~ He landed on her roof and he peered down at her from the edges.  
  
"What is it, Sakura-sama?" he asked in a whisper, trying not to wake anyone. Sakura waved her hand and motioned him to come inside. He blinked twice and shook his head. "I can't possibly fit through that thing. And even if I did, my wings are too big and I'd wake everyone up!" he protested.  
  
Sakura pouted and said quietly, "I'm the Sakura Card Mistress, right?" Yue nodded, not understanding. "Then I order you to come inside!" Sakura said wisely, backing up from the window, making space for Yue to enter. Yue widened his eyes. ~Oh, she's clever...~ He frowned and jumped down to the window sill and, with much wiggling and squirming, got through.  
  
"I hope..you're..happy, Sakura-sama," panted Yue as he plopped down on the carpet. Sakura let herself fall on her bed and looked at Yue with her eyes. "So why'd you come?" Yue squeezed his eyes shut, then answered, matter-of-factly, "Because I felt that you were in distress." ~Sakura blinked at him. Weird... He could actually hear my calls?~  
  
Sakura said, "Well, I was. I had another dream, and this one, so evil. Like before, but I saw all of The Dark Clow Cards." Yue straightened up stiffly and asked, "What cards did you see?!" Sakura was taken aback by his cold tone, but she replied, "I saw... They were all the same. But there were two cards that were different..." She put a finger on her chin and said, "It was The Life and The Death Card."   
  
Yue gritted his teeth. "The Life and Death... The two most powerful cards that Clow made... It was a mistake. Those cards are a mistake!" he said angrily. "They have the power to control Life and Death! If she wishes, that girl could kill everyone here!" Sakura gasped and asked frightfully, "Then how come she hasn't??"   
  
Yue furrowed his eyebrows together and replied, "Well, I'm not exactly sure. But I know if she wan't to, she could kill all the non-magical people in Japan." Sakura tilted her head. "So she wouldn't be able to kill everyone with magic?" Yue nodded. "Yes, and you are The Sakura Card Mistress, so it would be hard to kill a powerful sorceress such as yourself."  
  
Sakura blushed lightly and asked hurridly, "So, would she be able to...kill Oniisan and Otousan?" Yue stared at her for a moment, then said lowly, "The Card would be able to destroy your brother and father." Sakura felt the all too familiar prickling sensation everytime she was about to cry. ~But I can't cry in front of Yue-san,~ she thought sadly. ~He'd think me as of a little immature child, and I'm 18 years old! I'm The Sakura Card Mistress, I can take care of Otousan and Oniisan!~  
  
She forced herself to calm down, then said, "It's almost 7:00am. School, you better go back to Oniisan before he worries about Yukito-san. And before Kero-chan wakes up and demands what's happening." Yue nodded; he felt reluctant to leave Sakura by herself at school. But Tomoyo and her friends would be with her, so the girl probably wouldn't try anything stupid.  
  
He started for the window, then stopped and turned back to face Sakura. "Be careful," he said before he jumped off and flew into the rising sky.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tomoyo looked up as she saw Sakura walking up the steps to the school doors. "Sakura-chan!" she called out and waited for Sakura to catch up. "Aren't you early today, ne?" she asked teasingly. Sakura sighed and smiled. "Yea, I couldn't sleep with all of Kero-chan's snoring." A lie, but Sakura didn't want to worry Tomoyo.  
  
Tomoyo laughed heartily as they reached their classroom. "So, will you make up for it in Math class?" she asked as she and Sakura walked in. Sakura laughed and waved at Rika, Chihara, and Naoki. "Hi, Sakura-chan! Hi, Tomoyo-chan!" they all greeted in unison.   
  
The two girls greeted them and sat down in their seats. "It's a good thing we got Mr.Terada, ne, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked as their classroom teacher, Mr.Terada, walked in and said, "Everyone, settle down and take your seats!" Sakura nodded. "Of course, Tomoyo-chan. It's cool he came from Tomeda to here."  
  
Mr.Terada went to his desk thing and looked up at everyone. "Ah ha, everyone is here." He looked at Rika directly and smiled. Sakura and Tomoyo muffled a laugh and tried to straighten their faces when Mr.Terada raised a brow at them. He looked in his planner, then back at the class.  
  
"Class, today we have one new student," he said cheerfully and looked at the door, which opened and revealed a girl. She was wearing the school uniform and her face was set in a serious expression.   
  
Sakura stared at the girl with widened eyes. ~She's the one, from my dream! The one who attacked! she thought frantically. Oh man, this is reminding me of how I met Li-kun... Talk about deja vu...~  
  
She sat straight up in her desk and stared at the chalkboard. The girl walked in front of the class, next to Mr.Terada and he said, "Class, meet Kikai Tylers. She's an exchange student from America. I hope you make her feel welcomed," as he wrote her name out on the chalkboard. He looked over everyone and said, "Okay, Kikai, why don't you sit... Behind Sakura." Sakura stiffened and sweatdropped. "This is just like what happened with Li-kun," Tomoyo whispered in Sakura's ear. Sakura nodded and blinked uncertainly.   
  
Kikai walked her way down the aile and ignored the staring of Sakura and Tomoyo as she pulled her chair out and sat on it. She threw her bag down next to her and took out a book. She opened it quietly and began reading. Sakura blinked and turned her head a bit to look at Kikai. ~Weird... She isn't attacking or glaring at me.. She acts as if she doesn't know me!~  
  
The day went by quickly and finally the school bell rang. Their English teacher said bye to them as they all left the classroom. "That sure was weird, wasn't it?" Tomoyo asked as they were walking down the sidewalk. "I mean, she didn't even act like she noticed you. And she's the one who is out to get you or something." Sakura nodded. "I don't know, Tomoyo-chan. It's all too confusing for me to handle. I should ask-"  
  
"Yue?" inquired a voice from behind them.  
  
Sakura whirled around and gasped. "Kikai!" she exclaimed as Tomoyo blinked. Kikai was standing in front of them, hands limp at her sides. "I was wondering whether or not we could talk to each other in private," she said casually. "But I guess not. Oh well, it suits me fine." Sakura blinked at her in bewilderment. "Aren't you going to attack me?" Sakura asked nervously.  
  
Kikai stared at her, then laughed. The same laugh she laughed when she did when they first met. "No, of course not," she said. "Do you think I'm stupid enough to attack you in the open? Let alone when your guardian is watching you?" Sakura blinked at her in confusement. Kikai laughed again. "See for youself."  
  
Sakura shuffled her feet around uncomfortably, and called out shyly, "Yue-san? Are you there?"   
  
Yue had been watching from the trees, and now he was shocked. ~How in the world did that...that Kikai, know I was here?! I made it so that even Sakura-sama couldn't detect me! Is it possible that Kikai is more powerful than Sakura? More powerful than anticipated? No.. Sakura-sama will lose if she is greater in magical entries. Damn the girl!~ He shook his head and jumped down gracefully from the tree.  
  
"What is it, mistress?" Yue asked evenly. Sakura stepped back. "I-I didn't know you were guarding me, Yue-san! And why are you calling me mistress when you call me-" Yue cut her off. "So I see you've met your enemy," he said with venom as he stood and narrowed his eyes at Kikai. Kikai merely stared back at him with cool eyes. "I don't suppose we've met, have we, Yue?" she asked calmly.   
  
"And it's okay to call your mistress, Sakura-sama," she said with a hint of mockery in her voice. Yue's eyes widened. "How the hell did you..." Kikai brushed his question away with a flick of her hand and said, "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Card Captor. Till then." She bowed at Sakura and walked away.  
  
"Shouldn't we stop her?" asked Tomoyo, "I mean, she's Sakura-chan's enemy, right?" Yue watched the mysterious girl leave, and he balled his hands into fists. ~She acts so cocky... So sure of herself...~ I'll show her. And Sakura-sama will teach her a lesson! He looked at Sakura quickly and said, "Did she give you anything?"   
  
Sakura blinked at him, "No, she didn't," she answered, then looked down at where Kikai left. "Oh, what's this..." She bent down and picked up a small shard of glass. "It's so beautiful..." The glass swirled with color and she felt disorientated.  
  
Yue glaced down at her and then yelled harshly, "DROP THAT NOW!!" Sakura jerked and dropped the glass shard down on the pavement. "Ow!" she yelped as a piece of glass sliced her finger. She could see the thick crimson blood slowly sliding its way down her finger into her palm.   
  
Yue knelt by her and lifted her bleeding finger. "Sakura-sama," he said sternly while wiping the blood away with a piece of cloth, "Do not ever touch anything that has been touched by Kikai. Do not pick up anything she leaves, and do not accpet anything she offers or tries to give you. Wakarimasu ka?"  
  
Sakura nodded slowly, staring at the blood. "Naze?" she asked quietly. Yue looked up at her with pure concern in his eyes and said softly, "I don't want you to get hurt. That's all." Sakura blushed slightly. "Why would you care about me?"   
  
Yue blinked, and answered, "Because you are The Sakura Card Mistress." Sakura turned her head away, away so he couldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes. ~He only cares because I'm The Sakura Card Mistress... He doesn't love me at all...Not through his heart... Why? Why can't I find anyone who loves me?? Yukito went with Oniisan, and Li-kun went back to Hong Kong! I hate my life, that I can't find anyone who can stay by my side and let me have a shoulder to cry on, and be hushed and embraced...~  
  
"Sakura-sama?" Yue whispered. "Is something bothering you?" Sakura shook her head violently, tears splahsing everywhere. "I'm fine!" she said with a hurt tone. She scrambled up and pulled her hand from Yue's hands. She covered her face and pushed through Tomoyo, running in the direction of her house.  
  
"Sakura-chan, wait!" Tomoyo called out, but Sakura was already around the corner. Tomoyo sighed. "What happened?" she asked. Yue shook his head, standing up. ~She was crying...~ A quick flashback. ~Yes, she was crying... My hand is wet...~ He looked at the specks of clear liquid. ~They're so fragile...~ He blinked as a wind passed and the tears were swept away.  
  
He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked up. "Tomoyo-san, please, try and leave Sakura-sama alone for a while... She is going through some...tough times, and I think she needs some time to be alone." He glanced down at her and smiled a bit. A strained smile. "Do not worry, Sakura-sama is not in any danger. And she can take care of herself if danger befalls her." Tomoyo nodded and ran off, leaving Yue alone.  
  
~Sakura-sama.... Why is she crying? I don't understand... I can't help her if I don't know what's wrong with her... Argh! I...can't....Why am I so stupid?!~  
  
"You aren't stupid," a female voice said from behind him. "You just don't know how to handle girls." Yue whipped around and saw a girl about his age. She had lavender eyes and her soft, gray-blue bangs practically covered her entire face. Her hair was put in a very loose pony tail, and then let loose and put in another band, and then braided with silver bells.   
  
She was wearing a casual white shirt and jeans. "Yue, I can't believe you would actually fall for a girl, `sides the fact she's your mistress," the female scoffed. Yue narrowed his eyes. He could feel familiar magic within this being... "Just who are you?!" he demanded angrily. The female laughed and said in a low tone, "My name is none of your concern." She stepped back, and jumped up. Two dragon wings popped out of her back and spread out. They caught the wind and soared into the sky.  
  
"Tsumetai!" hissed Yue. "You have to be her!" Tsumetai looked down at him with a smug look and said loudly, "So you know! Let us see who is the better fighter, ne?" and pulled her arm back. She then lashed it out violently and a large, sharp icicle shot out at Yue. "Damnit!" he cursed as the jumped left, barely missing.  
  
"Fine, if that's how you want to do it," he muttered under his breath. He flapped his wings and joined Tsumetai in the air.  
  
"This will be an one on one," Tsumetai said. "No interruptions, no leaving until one of us is dead!" She hurled another icicle at him when she said 'dead!'. He flew out of the way, but it grazed his arm. "Damn you, you stupid ass," he growled. Tsumetai laughed. Clearly she enjoyed the idea of hurting others. "Ah, this will be too easy!" she laughed with glee and raised her hand up high. "You will die!" she shouted and thousands of icicles appeared in the sky. She threw her hand at him and they all shot out at Yue.  
  
"Holy.." started Yue as he tried to dogde the attacks and fight back as well. But it was useless. There were too many icicles for Yue to get the better of them. He was hurt in his right arm, and blood poured from his wings onto his white clothes. He fell onto the pavement with a loud thunk.   
  
He could feel Tsumetai land next to him. "Say good bye!" she said sinisterly and pulled her arm back. The same large icicle appeared in her hand and she threw it at him.  



	3. Destination

Testing The Sakura Card Mistress  
Three- Destination  
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
Syaoran snapped his head up from his studies and stared out the window. ~I felt something... Familiar feeling... what is it..! It's the same feeling..~ The Chinese boy looked across his desk to where the teddy bear was sitting. The same bear with little wings Sakura had made just for Syaoran. ~The same feeling I felt in Sakura when she was sad... Sakura is..she's sad...~ He stood up and picked the bear up. ~Sakura...~ He cuddled it gently and thought of Sakura.  
  
He shook his head. ~If I feel this feeling, that means I should go and... But she probably doesn't love me anymore... Not after how I broke up with her... And I haven't seen her in years...~ He put the bear down and walked out the door and bumped into Wei. "Oh!" the older man exclaimed. "Excuse me, Syaoran-san." Syaoran smiled and said, "Wei, I'm going back to Japan. Make sure mom and everyone else knows I'm gone." Wei was a bit startled, but he nodded. "I'll make the arrangements right away," and he bowed and left.  
  
Syaoran stood there. He breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Sakura, I'm coming. Please don't reject me..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura shot up from her bed and looked out the rain-splattered window. "Yue-san's in trouble!" she cried out suddenly. Kero jumped and stared at Sakura. "What you mean?!" he asked, confused. Sakura shook her head and answered, "I don't know! But I can feel it in my bones. Yue-san is in danger!" She jumped out of the bed and opened the door violently. "I have to help him!"  
  
Kero followed her down and flew out the kitchen door with her. "What do you mean?!" he asked again. "How can you tell?!" Sakura ran full speed at the place she left Yue, already soaking wet. "I don't know... It's like Touya and The Mirror! I just know!" Kero blinked. "Okkkk..." They arrived at the spot and Sakura gasped.  
  
Yue was leaning against the wall and his body was limp. The rain made him look lanky and his white hair was clinging to his face. A strange woman with dragon wings had an icicle in her hand and she threw it at him, "Now die!" she yelled. Sakura's eyes widened. "No! Yue-san!"  
  
"Key which conceals the power of the stars, reveal your true self before me. I, Sakura, command this by contract. Release!" she chanted and the sleek wand appeared in her hand. "Shield!"  
  
The faint green bubble surrounded Yue. The icicle hit and pushed through the shield and hit Yue in the other arm. Now he was fully paralized. "No, Yue-san!!!! Why didn't Shield work, Kero-chan?!" she asked frantically. Kero narrowed his eyes. "Her magic is too powerful. It's Tsumetai!"   
  
The woman turned to look at them. "Ah... The Sakura Card Mistress, how nice it is to finally meet you," the woman said, bowing. "What brings you here?" she asked calmly. Yue grunted and lifted his head a little. He could see Sakura talking to Tsumetai. "No... Sakura, run!" he said wearily. Sakura glanced at him.   
  
"Yue-san?" she asked tentively. Yue glared at Sakura and said more harshly, "I said go away! Get away from here!" Sakura shook her head. "Iie! I need to protect you!" Tsumetai blinked, then laughed. "The Mistress, protecting her guardian?!" she sneered. "How pathetic!" Sakura glared daggers at Tsumetai.  
  
"I don't care!" she said angrily. "But Yue-san is my friend, and I'm going to save him!" Tsumetai narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "That is unacceptable. We are having a duel. You cannot interfere." Sakura went red with rage and said, "I don't care!" Tsumetai growled in her throat, then laughed.  
  
"You are too young to understand the meaning of a duel," she explained emotionessly, "And in a duel, there are no distractions. What you did for Yue was against these rules." Sakura ran to Yue and kneeled down by him. "Daijoubu desu ka?" she asked gently. Yue shook his head and pushed her away. "Tsume...Tsumetai is right," he said, standing on his feet. "You..cannot interfere..Sak..Sakura..sama.." He fell back down again.  
  
"No, Yue-san! You are too weak to fight!" Sakura urged. "Let me handle this!" She stood up and walked in front of Tsumetai. "I'm taking over this duel," she said. Tsumetai glanced at her in disappointment, then shrugged. "Then you will be the one to die," she said and floated back. Shards of icicles surrounded her. Sakura got ready.  
  
Tsumetai pulled her hands back, then shot them out. The icicles sped past her, all aiming at Sakura. "Jump Card!" Sakura jumped way up in the air. "All right!" Kero cheered. Tsumetai smirked and pointed her fingers up at Sakura, who was still in the air, and a dozen of icicles rushed at Sakura, hitting her down.  
  
"Ahhhh!" she cried out as she hit the pavement hard. Tsumetai laughed, laughed a cruel laugh that sent chills down Sakura's, Yue's, and Kero's spines. "Pathetic," she said bitterly. "A pity I just can't kill you all right now. I do have my orders," she said and flapped her wings. She caught the breeze and flew away.   
  
Kero fluttered next to Sakura and asked worriedly, "Are you okay, Sakura-san?" Sakura grunted and rubbed her head. "I think so..." She jerked her head up. "Yue-san!" She tumbled next to him and felt for a pulse. "He's...still alive..." she whispered. "How am I supposed to..." She blinked and shook Yue's shoulders softly. "Yue-san, please wake up," she said urgently.  
  
Yue groaned and his eyes rolled up to Sakura's. "Sa..Sakura.." he mumbled. Sakura hushed him with her bleeding index finger and said, "You need to go back to Yukito's form, you won't be able to make it back to Oniisan in the condition you are in." Yue's eyes widened by her care. "I..I..." He frowned. "How..will....you get ho..home?" he asked with great effort.   
  
Sakura smiled. "That's for caring, Yue-san.. But I can use The Fly to get home," she said as the rain fell upon them both. "No..." Yue whispered. "Kero..he can...turn into his..other form..." Sakura nodded. "Yes, I can do that also," she said. Yue reached for her hand on his should and gripped it tightly with his hand. "I need to...protect you.." he said quietly. Sakura laughed lightly and smiled sadly.  
  
"You've protected me much times, Yue-san. Because of you, I haven't all those injuries you have... You've suffered enough, and I want you to get better," Sakura said, standing up and slipping from Yue's grasp. She grabbed her limp arm and stumbled over to Cerberus, who had already transformed.  
  
She turned around and nodded in the direction of Touya and Yukito's apartment. "Go home, Yue-san," she urged hastily. "Oniisan will be worrying..." Yue shook his head and struggled to his feet. He made his way to Sakura and said, "I won't go until you I make sure you are at home safely." Sakura blinked, then, "No! Yue-san, you are more injured than I! I only have a bleeding arm and cuts, while you have cuts, two arms that are probably broken, plus the fact you're bleeding!"  
  
She leaned forward and touched his blood-stained cheek. "Please, Yue-san? Onegai?" she asked. Yue went pink, but shook his head. "Iie, Sakura-sama... It's my job to make sure you get home safely." Sakura started to say something, but Yue cut her off. "Yamero!" he said forcefully, glaring at Sakura. Sakura stepped back and placed a hand on Cerberus's wet body, who was growling slightly.  
  
"Listen to Sakura-san," Cerberus said sharply. "I can take care of her! Yue, go!" Yue twitched and stepped back also. "I..I'm sorry..." he said sheepishly in a quiet voice. "I just wanted to make sure you were going to be okay." Sakura smiled. "Arigato for caring, Yue-san," she said and started climbing on Cerberus's back. She stopped and turned around. She hugged Yue softly, so not to put pressure on his wounds, and whispered drearily, "See you tomorrow...Yue-san...Mm.." Yue felt her arms fall. "Sakura?" he asked.  
  
But Sakura didn't respond. "Sakura?!" he asked again, more frantic. He pushed her up and shook her gently. "Sakura!!" he yelled. Her head just bobbed and then lay limp. "Sa...Sakura.." He placed Sakura on Cerberus's back. "Cerberus, get Sakura to her home right NOW!!" he ordered, climbing on.  
  
"What happened?" the golden lion beast asked as they were flying towards Sakura's house. "Sakura passed out," Yue said grimly. He looked at the stars. ~Nightfall... Touya is going to hate me so frickin' much...~ "She WHAT?!" Cerberus asked, enraged. Yue nodded. "Yea...too much blood lost... I have more wounds, but because she is more..delicate..she passed out..." Cerberus flapped his wings harder and landed in front of Sakura's kitchen door. Yue jumped off and banged on the door loudly.   
  
They could here footsteps as Fujitaka rushed to open the door. "Oh my God, what happened?!" he asked as he noticed Sakura's blood-stained body. "Sakura has passed out," Cerberus growled as Fujitaka picked up Sakura's lifeless body and carried it up stairs. Cerberus reverted to his smaller form and followed with Yue.  
  
"Will she be okay?" Yue asked as Fujitaka stripped Sakura of all clothing except her bra and underwear. Yue and Kero both turned away. "I think she'll be okay," the father said seriously as he grabbed a cloth and soaked it with warm water. "Kero, go get some towels, they're downstairs." Kero nodded and flew back down.   
  
Fujitaka began wiping off all the dry blood from Sakura's body with the towel. "Is there..erm...anyway I can help?" Yue asked, a bit embarrassed. "Yes," Fujitaka said, "I have a question for you." Yue blinked. "A...question? What kind of question?" Fujitaka took off his glasses and said, "Yes, I was wondering.. How do you feel about Sakura?"  
  
Yue stiffened. ~Does he know?..There's no way he could possibly know... Is there? Maybe Sakura told Fujitaka about me..Like all the strange things I did these past days...~ "I...Um..." started Yue, "She is...very skillfull in magic..and er...She has very good fighting skills and-"  
  
Fujitaka cut him off. "Not that. Like, how do you feel about her?" he asked, wiping the Sakura's face. Yue's cheeks went pink and he twiddled his thumbs together. "Well, she has a kind heart..." Fujitaka looked up at Yue and smiled. "I know she does," he said. "What else?" Yue sat down next to Fujitaka, still not looking, and said, "She's very friendly with everyone... And really nice to us all.." Fujitaka nodded and looked out past Yue and saw Kero coming with a big towel.   
  
"Little help..`ere!" panted Kero, his wings fluttering violently. Yue rushed up and took the towel. "Thanks," the little creature said gratefully. Yue tossed the towel at Fujitaka and he wrapped it around Sakura's body. He picked her up and nodded to Yue. The guardian stood up and moved out of the way.   
  
"I'm taing her to her room," Fujitaka said, walking to Sakura's door. "I'll take care of your wounds right after." Yue flushed more pink. "No-No..I can take care of my own wounds," he said swiftly. "You just take care of Sakura-sama." Fujitaka nodded again. "You are a very good guardian of Sakura's." Yue grinned a little and turned back into the bathroom.  
  
He grabbed a towel from the shelf and dampened it with warm water. He started rubbing his arms painfully. ~I wish Sakura could be doing this instead of me...~ "Need help?" Kero asked from behind Yue, noticing his little winces. Yue said, "I guess," and Kero grabbed a smaller towel and wiped Yue's arms until they were clean.   
  
Yue washed his face and stared in the mirror. "How could Sakura love a face like this..." he said to himself. "What's that?" Kero asked. He had clearly heard Yue. "No-Nothing," stuttered Yue. Kero raised an unexisting brow. "Whatever." He eyed Yue's torn clothes. "Oh ho, you definitely going to need to borrow some of Touya's left over clothes he left," he said.  
  
Yue sighed. "I suppose," he said tiredly. "Or I could just turn back into Yukito and let him go home. I really shouldn't be taking up his time like this." Kero shook his head. "Nuh uh. I don't think you should go," he said, flying out the bathroom. Yue followed him down the hall. "Why not?" he asked, puzzled. "Because," continued Kero, "You'd make Sakura-san sad."   
  
Yue stopped walking and stared at the little guardian. ~Sakura? Miss me? That's like mice missing cats. Totally absurd.~ "Why, pray tell, would Sakura-sama miss me?" Kero laughed. "Going back to calling her 'Sakura-sama', eh? So you just call her by her first name whenever she's in danger then?" Yue glared. "No! I just...was rushed and..." Kero coughed. "Yea, yea. Well, let's not hear your lame excuses."  
  
Yue growled and grabbed the beast and shook his roughly. "Don't mock me!" he snarled. "Ahh!! Ahh!! Ahh!!" yelped Kero. "Lemmeeeeeee goooooooooo!!!" Yue dropped Kero and stalked to Sakura's room and almost bumped into Fujitaka. "Whoa, why so mad?" he asked as Yue kept stalking, mumbling a curt, "Gomen ne."  
  
Yue shrugged. "Kero pissed me off," he said. Fujitaka blinked, then laughed. "He get's on everyone's nerve sooner or later," he said, grinning. "Say, you look...well, torn in those torn clothes," he said, looking Yue over. "I think Touya has some clothes in his old room. You can go see if anything fits you. You are kind of his size, maybe a tad bit taller." Yue nodded and walked into Touya's room.  
  
Five minutes later he came back out. "HAHAHA!!" cried out Kero when he saw Yue come out. Fujitaka slapped his hand over Kero's mouth, noticing the death glare coming from Yue's face. "Um..You look better," the man said kindly. Yue was wearing a plain white shirt. His left shoulder was showing and the sleeves were too big.  
  
"I guess Touya's shoulder are bigger than yours," Fujitaka said, noticing. Yue nodded. "But his pants fit?" Yue shook his head. The waist was too big and it fell around his hips. But the ends were too short and it reached his ankles. "So, you have smaller shoulders and waist than Touya," observed Fujitaka, "and you're taller than him. If you plan on saving Sakura a lot, I should buy you some clothes to wear, ne?" Yue shrugged.   
  
"I think you should stay tonight, Yue," Sakura's father said suddenly. Yue snapped his head up. "Nani?" he asked, disbelieving. ~Him too? Something's going on here...~ "Yes," Fujitaka answered. "You deserve to. I mean, you protected Sakura when you could've died and I think you should stay to protect her if that..person comes back." Yue hesitated. "Can't Kero?" Fujitaka shook his head. "Kero sleeps too heavily. Probably wouldn't hear an intruder if it was right next to him playing the drums."  
  
Kero sweatdropped. "I resent that comment," he said, peeved.   
  
Yue finally agreed. "I guess I should protect Sakura-sama," he said quietly. "I'll sleep in Touya's room?" Fujitaka nodded. "I'll make the bed. why don't you two go downstairs? I'll make tea and muffins as soon as I'm done," he suggested. Kero grinned, "Yea!" and flew top speed down to the kitchen. Yue blinked. "I wonder why he loves food so much.." he said, walking down.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Syaoran woke up impulsively. He waited until his breathing slowed as he grabbed a cup of water and drank it all. ~What kind of dream was that... Sakura and Yue fighting... A woman...with...~ Then he realized. ~A woman with dragon wings! It has to be Tsumetai! No, that's why! I felt like she needed me.. Because she's in danger...~ "That Dark Clow Cards..." he whispered. "I wish this damned plane would go faster..." He sighed. "Why Clow made those cards is beyond me."   
  
He clutched his old ceremony robes he wore 'back in the old days'. "Sakura... Just wait for me, I'll help you. I won't let that Evil Card Captor hurt you... No more hurting.."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"C`mon," nagged Kero, "Try the tea or I'm drinking it!" Yue snapped his mouth shut as Kero tried shoving in a cup full of brown liquid into his mouth. He shook his head violently, making noises. "Mmm Mmm!!" Kero smacked Yue's nose with his tail. "It ain't poison!" he grumbled. "Agh!" Yue said, mouth now wide open. Kero grinned evilly and dumped the brown substance in Yue's mouth and down his throat.   
  
Yue's eyes bulged and he gasped for breath. "Ack!" He tried spitting some out. "That stuff is nasty!" he cried out. Fujitaka, who was sitting across from them on the kitchen table, laughed. "Ah, well.." he said calmly, "First timers usually need sugar. Here." He pushed the sugar bowl by Yue. Yue shook his head. "I won't drink it!" Kero stuck his tongue out at Yue. "Stubborn idiot!" he accused.   
  
Fujitaka smiled, exasperated. "Yue, give it another try," he said. He reached over and grabbed Yue's tea cup. He refilled it with tea and put two spoonfulls of sugar in it. He pushed it back towards Yue, who was eyeing it, as if it was going to kill him. "I-" began Yue. Kero cut him off by saying, "YUE!! Do it for Sakura-san! She always says how you should try food!" Yue opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut.   
  
He grabbed the cup and held it to his nose. He sniffed it, twitched his nose, and pulled back. "It's stinky," he said. "YUE!" shouted Kero.   
  
"Hey, hey," Fujitaka said, waving his hands in front of himself. "Let's not get hasty here. It's just tea. Besides, we don't want to wake Sakura up." Kero and Yue nodded. "Yue, just a sip?" inquired Fujitaka. Yue stared down in the brown tea and sighed in defeat. He raised the cup to his lips and drank.   
  
The taste was bitter at first, then the creamy warm sensation hit him. He shivered in delight. "This..is..pretty good," he said. Kero smiled in triumph, and Fujitaka just smiled. Yue took another sip. Ah..yes. It warmed him up inside, and he didn't feel as cold. "What is this stuff made of?" he asked.  
  
Kero shrugged, "Beats me," and grabbed a cracker and munched it down. "Buf if suref fafes goof!" he said, still chewing. Yue sweatdropped.  
  
After they all had their little snack, and I use the term little lightly, Kero flew into Sakura's room and went to sleep. Fujitaka led Yue back to Touya's room. "What about tomorrow?" Yue asked as he sat on the bed, feeling awkward. Fujitaka frowned and said, "I don't know. I doubt that that girl.. What's her name?"   
  
"Kikai."  
  
Fujitaka nodded. "Yes, I doubt that Kikai will try to hurt Sakura during school... But I'm not so sure. She's supposed to be pure darkness, right?" Yue nodded solemly. Fujitaka frowned. "Then," he continued. "I'd greatly appreciate it if you would go to school with Sakura tomorrow."  
  
Yue stared at Fujitaka like he was a crazy man. It wasn't that Yue resented going with her, it's just.. What about Yukito? And Touya? Yukito had classes, and couldn't afford to miss them. And Touya would care about Yukito. On the other hand, Touya also cared for Sakura. Yue could see the wheels cranking in Touya's head already.   
  
"I..." Yue started, gripping the white sheets, "Don't know. I mean, Yukito has his classes, and Touya would partially be upset, plus, I don't know a lot about humans." Fujitaka blinked. "Yes, yes. But, I believe Yukito and Touya would understand, and I'm sure Sakura and Tomoyo could help you. Besides, you're going to be with her everywhere she goes. Mostly," he added.   
  
Yue opened his mouth to say something when Fujitaka said, "Get some sleep. You'll be getting up early to get ready, and it's already ten-something." He patted Yue's thigh fatherly like and walked out. Before he left completely, he waved and said, "Oyasumi nasai," and flipped the light switch out, leaving Yue in total darkness.  
  
Yue fumbled around a bit, then plopped down, exaushted. Since he was a guardian, his wounds probably wouldn't be there tomorrow. Or so he hoped. He rolled over to his side. Not time to think, time to sleep.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!"   
  
Yue snapped his eyes open and waved his hands frantically in the air, hitting a flying object. "Ahhhhhhhh!!!" he yelped.   
  
"AIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!" shrieked another voice.   
  
Yue looked up. "Ooops." Kero hit the wall and slid down slowly. Yue stared, then Kero flew up at him and yelled, "WHY'D YOU DO THAT?!" Yue frowned and shot back, "BECAUSE YOU SCREECHED IN MY EAR!" The two guardians glared.  
  
There was a knock on the door and it opened. The two looked away from each other to the door. "Ah, Sakura-sama!" exclaimed Yue. "What are you doing?" Sakura rubbed her eyes and smiled. "I woke up because I heard two very loud voices," she said. Yue blushed. "An-Ano.. Go-Gomen nasai, Sakura-sama," he stuttered. Kero smirked.   
  
Sakura laughed, "It's okay. Besides, it's.. Um.. Kero-chan, what time is it?" Kero flew towards the clock on the drawer and read, "7:30am." Sakura's eyes widened. "Eeeeeeiiiiii!!! I'm going to be late!!!" she said frantically, and rushed out of the room. Yue could hear a door slam and he guessed it was Sakura's.   
  
"Better get going too," Kero snickered. "Don't want to be late to class, now do we?" Yue glared at him and stuffed the small guardian under his pillow. "MMMMMMMFFFFF!!!!" Kero said. Yue smiled and got ready.  
  
He met Sakura downstairs. "Ano.. Yue-san? Why are you dressed up?" Sakura asked in confusion when she saw him. Yue scratched his head and replied, "Well, I..uh.. Um.." Fujitaka magically appeared (not literally appeared) and filled in, "Yue's going to school with you today, Sakura." Sakura blinked and looked at Yue. "Why?" she asked.  
  
"Because I'm going to protect you if anything happens," Yue answered. Sakura gave him a funny look. "Because your dad told me to," he added hastily. Sakura 'oh'ed. "Well, you two should be going, ne?" Fujitaka said, handing them each a bag of lunch. Yue looked down at it. "Eh?" Sakura smiled and said, "It's food, Yue-san. You need to eat it at lunch." Yue blinked. "But I don't need food, I don't have to eat it."  
  
Sakura shrugged. "Just try. But I really hope you don't get obsessed with it like Kero-chan," she said, laughing. Yue cracked a smile. Fujitaka looked down at his watch and said, "Ikimasu, school's almost going to start!" Sakura nodded and jumped out the door onto the road. She already had her skates on. Yue walked down.   
  
"Just don't show them anything that is abnormal," Sakura advised as they were heading towards school. "Like, no wings, no magic, no magic anything actually." Yue nodded. "Where am I supposed to go?" he asked. Sakura put her finger to her chin and said thoughtfully, "I think you go to the main office. They'll put you in my class. Just say you're my cousin. Thay'll do it. I think." Yue raised a brow. "What if I don't get placed in your class, Sakura-sama?"  
  
Sakura skidded to a halt as they reached the school gates. "And another thing," Sakura said, walking inside, "don't call me Sakura-sama. Just call me Sakura. Okay?" Yue frowned, then nodded. "I guess this is where you'll be waiting," Sakura said, pointing to the door that lead to the office. "See you later."  
  
With that, she ran off towards homeroom, leaving Yue alone. Actually, leaving Yue alone with another boy. ~He must be new, too.~ The boy was sitting on a chair that was lined up against the wall. Yue sighed and plopped down next to him. As soon as he sat, he detected strong magic from the boy. His head snapped up; the boys' head snapped up at the same time. They turned to face each other sharply, then cried out their names.  
  
"Yue!"  
  
"Li Syaoran!"  
  
The two stared at each other before Syaoran said, "What in hell are you doing here?!" Yue snorted and said, "I'm supposed to be protecting Sakura-sama." Syaoran jerked. "Sakura? You're supposed to be protecting her?" Yue nodded. "Unlike some people," he added. Syaoran flinched at his words.  
  
"Why do you need to protect her?" Syaoran said hurridly. Yue folded his arms across his chest and explained, "Because there's a certain girl here who's trying to harm Sakura-sama. Her father told me to stay with her until we can get rid of that pest." Syaoran blinked. "Why are you here?" Yue asked suddenly.  
  
Syaoran gulped and pulled at his collar. "Well," he started, "I came because I felt like Sakura was in distress. Like something evil was going to happen to her. Guess I was right, ne?" Yue nodded grimly. "I can't figure out why that girl's trying to harm Sakura-sama. It's not like Sakura-sama did anything to her."  
  
Syaoran shrugged. "Well, maybe this girl hates Sakura. For what reason, I have no idea. Hey, just to confirm what I've been thinking... That girl is The Dark Clow Card Mistress, right?" Yue nodded again. "Unfortunately," the guardian said, "she had to bring her two guardians." Syaoran sighed. "Then this will be a hard battle. Cerberus against Kiri, you against Tsumetai, and Sakura against the girl. I can't do anything.."  
  
Yue stiffened. "Someone's coming," he said shortly. Syaoran fell silent as a tall man came in, he obviosuly was the principal. "Ah, two new students?" he inquired, looking at both of them. They nodded. "Well, well. May I ask your names?"   
  
"Yue.. uh.." began Yue. ~Darn, they never told me what last name I was supposed to use.~ He figeted his fingers around nervously while the principal looked down at him. "Well?" insisted the principal. "I'm waiting."  
  
Syaoran was the one who rescued Yue. "His name is Kinomoto Yue, sir," he said fastly. The principal turned to look at him. And how do you know?" he asked. Syaoran said, "I know because I'm a good friend of his cousin." The principal raised his brow. "Cousin? What cousin?"  
  
Yue raised his head and said, "Kinomoto Sakura." The principal blinked, then exclaimed, "Ah, yes! One of our most favorite students! Kinomoto-san! She's very enjoyable. Well then, I think I'll place you two in her classes then. What do you think?" Yue and Syaoran both nodded frantically. "Good, good! Come this way, please!" he said motioning for the boys to stand and leading them to Sakura's homeroom.  
  
He opened the sliding door thing and the two stepped inside. Yue noticed Sakura. "Ano.. There she is," he said to Syaoran. Syaoran looked up and blinked. ~Sakura sure has gotten prettier.~ Her couldn't help but feeling attracted to her beauty. ~She has grown into a fine young princess.~ Mr.Terada blinked. "Wow, sure is a popular year for new students," he commented when the principal left. He shrugged and walked to his desk thing.   
  
"Class," he said, gaining everyone's attention, "I'd like you to meet two more new students that will be joining us for the rest of the school year. Please welcome our former student from Tomeda, Li Syaoran." Syaoran bowed. Mr.Terada wrote his name on the chalkboard, then said, "And Kinomoto Yue. He's a cousin of Sakura," writing Yue's 'name' on the chalkboard as well. Yue bowed.   
  
He snapped his head up he heard whispers like, "Cool, he looks cute!" and "Wow, maybe I can gain his attention!" and "He's so manly..." His cheeks turned a faint shade of red as Syaoran snickered lightly behind him. Mr.Terada blinked, then said, "Now, where should we seat you two. I know, Syaoran, why don't you go sit next to Kikai over there," pointing to the empty seat next to a girl with ice cold blue eyes. And the same exact features as Sakura.  
  
~What the hell?!~ Syaoran, startled, walked down the aisle and slid down in his seat. He side glanced at Kikai, who was busy reading a book. ~She seems normal....~ At once, the dark, evil aura surrounded him and he winced. ~But she is far far from it.~ He looked back up at the teacher, who was deciding where to place Yue.  
  
"And Yue, you can sit in front of Sakura," he heard him say. (Don't ask about the seatings, I just needed it to be that way. For what reason I'm still unsure of.) Yue nodded and walked down aisle and into his seat. It seemed he was disappointed in the seating arrangement. He and Syaoran felt like switching places, so Yue could keep an eye on Kikai, and Syaoran could be in front of Sakura.   
  
Soon half the day past and it was lunch time. Sakura and Tomoyo convinced Yue to sit with them near the water fountain, which left Syaoran to do what he pleased. And that was finding Kikai and finding out what her motives were. So he set off to find her. Passing the garden, rounding the corners of the building, and looking in the trees, he couldn't find her. "Damnit, where could one girl possibly get to?!" he asked no one.  
  
"Well then, why are you looking for me?" asked a female voice, one he was quite capable of guessing.  
  
"Kikai," he whispered, turning around. Kikai was now sitting in front of him, sitting on a bench. "Well?" she prompted. Syaoran felt something caught in his throat. "I..I..." he tried to say. Kikai raised a brow at him. "Kero-chan got your tongue?" she joked. Syaoran glared. "For your information, I do not like that stuffed animal. I never have, and I never will." Kikai blinked, then laughed.  
  
"Well, well," she said, calming down. "Why were you looking for me?" Syaoran explained, "Because, I want to know why you want to harm Sakura. What did she ever do to you?" Kikai's eyes turned serious. "Little boy," she said, getting up and staring into his face coldly, "you have no business in knowing what my motives are. This is only between me and The Sakura Card Mistress. Got that? So you better keep your nose where it belongs."  
  
Syaoran glared at her and shot back, "Yea? Well, what're you going to do about it!?" Kikai closed her eyes and smirked. "I don't think you want to know the true depths of my power," she said in a warning tone. "So ignore me and live your daily life. You'll be asking for pain and suffering if you were to try and fight me."  
  
Syaoran gaped at her. ~How the hell can she be so bloody confident in herself?!~ He shook his head. "I don't care what you say!" he shouted. "I'll protect Sakura from whatever harm befalls her!!" Kikai narrowed her eyes.   
  
"Love is a strong thing. But hate is stronger."  
  
Syaoran stared at Kikai. He let those words sink in. 'Love is a strong thing. But hate is stronger.' What did she mean? He clutched his hands into fists. "I'll show you what I can do!" he yelled. "Meet me in the park after school!" Kikai's eyes narrowed still. Then she smirked. "Fine. Let your ignorance be your downfall," she sneered and walked away.  
  
Syaoran stood there for a long time, then swore. There was no way in Hell that he'd be able to win. But still.. He had to protect his dignity and Sakura. The bell rang and he walked back inside.  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ca Captor Sakura, do not sue me. This is merely for entertainment, nothing else.   
  
PS. Sorry I took so long. Writers: Their worst enemy is school.  



	4. Duel

Testing The Sakura Card Mistress  
Four- Duel  
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
"C`mon, Yue!! Onegai!!" whined Sakura, trying to stuff a piece of shrimp in Yue's mouth. He flinched back and his mouth clamped shut. "Mmm Mmm!!!" he mumbled, shaking his head frantically. Sakura pressed nearer, the chop sticks poking Yue's lips. "Onegai?" she pleaded, leaning forward.   
  
Yue looked around nervously. He was sitting on the water fountain edge, and he had no escape. He'd fall in if he moved any more back. Sakura grinned evilly. "It's not poison!!" she said cheerfully, pressing the shrimp to his lips. "If Kero-chan can eat this, then you can too, Yue-san." Yue shook his head. "Mm Mmm Mmm!!!" he protested.  
  
Tomoyo sighed happily as she recorded the two from the bushes. "What a lovely couple they make," she whispered to herself dreamily. "I wonder what I can do to help them..."   
  
Sakura puffed out her cheeks. "Yue-san!! Just try it!!" she said loudly and pushed the chop sticks with such force it went in Yue's mouth. He gagged the shrimp down and gasped for air. "Sakura-sama!!!" he choked out, waving his arms in the air. Sakura's eyes widened and she dropped the chop sticks on the ground. "Yue-san!" she said, grabbing his arm.  
  
~Kuso, I'm going to fall in!!~ Yue gripped Sakura's hand tightly. "I'll pull you up!" exclaimed Sakura, stepping up and walking back, bringing Yue along with her. The two tumbled onto each other in a heap. "Ugh... My head.." Yue murmured, sitting up and rubbing where his head hurt. "Sakura?"  
  
Sakura opened an eye. "Daijoubu desu ka?" she asked meekly. Yue blushed, seeing how he was somewhat on top of her, quickly stumbled to his feet and assisted Sakura in standing. "Gomen nasai," he rushed, looking down. Sakura's cheeks turned red and she waved her hand casually. "It's..Okay," she said, bending down to get her chop sticks.  
  
She straightened and smiled brightly. "So? How did it taste?" she asked cheerfully. Yue sweatdropped. "Ano.. I didn't have time to taste anything. It got lodged in my throat," Yue answered, embarrassed. Sakura blinked, then laughed. "Aw, it's okay, Yue-san! We'll try tomorrow!"  
  
Yue's eyes widened. "To-Tomo-Tomorrow?!" he asked, bewildered. Sakura nodded. "Yep."  
  
THUD!  
  
Tomoyo looked up. ~Yue-san fell down.~ "I guess Sakura ignored the fact that he thinks Food is his ultimate enemy..." She giggled softly and kept recording.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Finally the bell rang and all the students shuffled out of the classroom happily, chatting and laughing. Sakura and Tomoyo walked out, followed by Yue and Syaoran.   
  
"Why do you think Li-kun returned to Japan?" Tomoyo asked in a whisper to Sakura as they were walking to the gates, well far away from hearing distance. Sakura blinked, then shrugged. "I don't know," she said simply. "Maybe he just felt like visiting." Tomoyo could see Sakura trying to keep her face nonchalant, but she could see her friend's expression clearly.  
  
Sakura's eyes were soft, as if she were about to cry. And her cheeks were a bit pink. Tomoyo sighed. "Maybe you should go and ask him?" Tomoyo suggested, nudging her. "You guys can talk for a while. And don't worry about me, I won't interfere." Sakura looked up at Tomoyo and smiled gratefully. "Arigato, Tomoyo-chan," she said, walking towards Syaoran.   
  
"And so, do you think I'll be able to-" Syaoran broke off his sentence with Yue as he saw Sakura approaching. "We'll talk about this later," he said. Yue nodded and looked at Sakura. "Is there something you want?" he asked. Sakura nodded. "Hai. I'd like to be able to speak with Li-kun for a few minutes, is that okay?"   
  
Yue blinked, then nodded. "I'll be in the trees if you need me then," he said casually and walked away. Sakura looked back at him, then at Syaoran. "Well?" he prompted. "What do you want to talk about?" Sakura took a deep breath, then answered, "I want to know... Why did you come back to Japan?"  
  
Syaoran stiffened. "I...I..." He couldn't finish his sentence. Sakura stared into his face. "Hm?" she said. Syaoran blushed at how close she was. Her breath was flowing onto his cheeks. He shook his head and said, "I came back because... I felt that you were in..danger.." He stared down at Sakura.   
  
"Syaoran.." Sakura whispered his name. Syaoran smiled and wrapped his arms around Sakura. He brought her close and hugged her tightly. "I came here to help you," he said softly as Sakura leaned against him. "I don't want to see you get hurt." He could hear Sakura crying in his shirt softly.   
  
"Then why did you leave in the first place?"  
  
Syaoran's eyes widened like he just got slapped. ~Why.. Why did I...leave?~ "I... Well.. I had my responsibility to return back to Hong Kong and..." His voice trailed off. Sakura looked up and asked quietly, "We can still be friends, right?" Syaoran blinked in shock, then nodded slowly, smiling. "Yes... Yes, of course. I just hoped you didn't hate me."  
  
Sakura raised a brow and said, "I wouldn't hate you.. Love doesn't work on the first time, I guess." Syaoran nodded again and sighed, "Well, I guess we should be going now, you're father might be worring about you and-"  
  
He jerked his head up. "Oh no, I forgot about the match!" he exclaimed. Sakura blinked in confusement. "What match?" she asked curiously. Syaoran looked down at her and said hastily, "Uh... Eh... Nothing! It's just a... Ah..." Sakura leaned back and asked casually, "It's just a...?"   
  
Syaoran sweatdropped and said, "Well, I, uh, better be going now! Bye!" and he dashed past Sakura, leaving a trail of dust behind him. Sakura stared after him in bewilderment. "I guess...it was important.." she said, blinking. She turned and walked back to Tomoyo.   
  
"What's up with Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked, watching where he went off to. "And where is he going?" Sakura shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe we should go and follow him?" she suggested. "Not a good idea," Yue said, from the tree. Sakura looked up. "Why?" she asked.  
  
Yue mumbled something Sakura couldn't hear, then answered, "Well, Syaoran has to take care of some personal business.. Yea, you could call it personal." Sakura stared at Yue. "You guys are keeping something from me, aren't you?" she realized slyly. Yue stiffened and gulped. "Uh, no we aren't! You're just..err...imagining things!" he said, sweating.  
  
"Whatever." Sakura looked back at Tomoyo and said, "Well, why don't we go to my house? We can do our work." Tomoyo smiled. "Okay, Sakura-chan," she answered and looked up at Yue. "Are you gonna come?" she asked. Yue shook his head. "No, my other form probably wants to see Touya, since I've been here last night and all today," he said, jumping down gracefully.  
  
He looked Sakura straight in the eye and said, "Try and stay out of trouble." Sakura puffed her cheeks. "I know! Sheesh.." Yue smiled, then laughed. Sakura and Tomoyo kind of stared at him. "Eh.. We'll be going now," Tomoyo said, edging away from him slowly. Sakura nodded and the two girls walked back to Sakura's house.  
  
Yue waited until they were out of sight, then sighed. "Syaoran will have his hands full with Kikai," he said thoughtfully. "I doubt he'll win. He absolutely has no possible chance at winning.." He sighed again and willed himself to have wings. Then he jumped up and flew towards Yukito and Touya's place.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Syaoran stopped his run and walked in the park more slowly. He ran home and was now dressed in his ceremonial robes. His sword was, as usual, at his back.   
  
~Where is she?~ He looked around. ~She said she'd be here... Where... Ah!~ "You!" he shouted, now staring at a tree. He could see Kikai standing on a branch. She's still wearing her school uniform. He reached behind him and pulled his sword out of its sheath. "I'm ready!" he said, holding the sword in a fighting position.  
  
Kikai jumped down and stood up. Her eyes were closed and she already had a sword in her hand. "Let's get this over," Syaoran said in a quiet voice.   
  
"You would.." Kikai said softly. Syaoran blinked. "Wha?" Kikai looked up with opened eyes. She raised the sword high and the tip gleamed in the sunlight. "I will destroy you," she said with no emotion, and with amazing speed, she swiped the sword at Syaoran. He brought his sword and blocked it.   
  
Kikai pressed down on the sword with her own. Syaoran gritted his teeth and tried to overthrow Kikai. ~Shit.. Her face...~ Held no emotion, she was totally emotionless. "That's it.." Syaoran managed to say, bringing his sword up and making Kikai stumble back.   
  
~She's agile, not powerful. Evasive instead of an attacker.. I can do this!~ Syaoran slashed his sword at Kikai's feet. She jumped up and lashed her sword at his arm. The tip made contact and the green material ripped, blood coming out.  
  
"Agh," Syaoran mumbled, clutching his arm at once. "Not good.." Kikai flipped backwards and slashed again. He barely brought his sword up in time to block the blow. But as soon as he did, she jumped up and pointed the sword downwards at him. He tumbled out of the way and gripped his sword tightly.  
  
"Once she's hit her target, she's impossible!" he realized. "She'll kill me at this rate-Ahh!!" In a flash Kikai's sword found Syaoran throat. Blood trickled down slightly as she held it there, putting small pressure on it. Syaoran winced down at the shining metal. "So you've won," he mumbled. "I guess I was wrong about being able to beat you..."   
  
Kikai stared down at him with a blank face. Then Syaoran's ear twitched at a thunder crackling in the distance as rain started to pour down on them. Kikai turned her head just slightly but that was enough for Syaoran to push the sword tip away and ram into Kikai, making her fall down onto the wet grass. He brought his own sword to Kikai's neck. Kikai gasped shortly.   
  
Syaoran smirked triumphily. "I guess I win now," he said quietly. Kikai eyed the the blade; her eyes twitched. "I..see.." she said in an almost unaudible tone. "...Kill me." Syaoran looked down at her and asked, "Remember how you said love is strong, but hate is stronger?" Kikai didn't say anything.  
  
Syaoran continued. "Yea, well... I pretty much think I hate you because you're doing something to Sakura. But I'm not going to kill you. You were wrong. Love is stronger than anything. So in a way it overrides my hatred for you. You should try love one day, since you obviously haven't." He pulled the sword away and stuck it back in its sheath. "Well, I'm soaking wet, I'm going home now. I hope you think about what you've been doing so maybe you can go back to wherever you came from," he said.  
  
Kikai narrowed her eyes. "What makes you think I'd listen to you?" she asked. Syaoran smiled and said, "Because if you don't I'll just challenge you again and kick your butt." Kikai gritted her teeth. "You were lucky, if that thunder hadn't distracted me, you would be dead," she spat out. Syaoran smiled more. "That may be so," he replied, "but I'm not. And I know how you fight."  
  
Syaoran bent down and whispered, "Kikai, I know you have a reason for being here. But.." He brought himself closer. Kikai edged back. Syaoran put both of his hands on Kikai's wrists and gripped them tightly. "Because you look so much like Sakura..." Syaoran mumbled, coming even closer, "I can't help but feel.." He trailed off and reached until he felt Kikai's breathing. Syaoran made contact with Kikai's lips and kissed her gently.  
  
Kikai's eyes flashed wide in disbelief. ~He's..kissing me... Bastard.~ She couldn't move. It was like someone turned her brain off. Syaoran pulled back and released his grip on her wrists. He stood up and walked away. Kikai just remained sitting in the rain. ~Why in the world..~ "Bastard," she repeated, bringing herself up. "I'll win next time.." she vowed silently, walking home.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura flopped on her bed and sighed. "I wonder why Li-kun and Yue-san were so secretive..." Kero's ears pricked up when Sakura said Li-kun and he turned around. "YOU MEAN THAT LI KID CAME BACK?!" he shouted angrily in Sakura's face. Sakura blinked and sweatdropped. "Ano... Yes, he did," Sakura answered softly. Kero's face turned red with anger. "That stupid, cheap-ass lyin' sack of shit made you fall in love with him and then what does he do?! He goes and leaves you to go back to Hong Kong!" he ranted.  
  
Sakura nodded. "Yes, but.. He came back because he felt I was in danger. He came to protect me, Kero-chan!" protested Sakura. Kero's eyes widened and he suddenly said, "What?! You two are back together again?!" Sakura was baffled by the shocked tone in his voice. "Uh.. No.." she answered meekly.   
  
"Good!" exclaimed Kero with a smug look on his face.   
  
"Why do you ask, Kero-chan?" Sakura asked. Kero twitched and he said, "Errr... Well, eh...hehehehehehehe!! That's for me to know and for you to find out!" Sakura puffed her cheeks. "WHAT exactly are you HIDING from me, Kero-chan?!" she demanded. Kero fluttered over to the window and smiled sheepishly. "Nothing, nothing at all! Nope, not a thing.."  
  
Sakura smirked. "Look who's the liar now," she said slyly. Kero was at a lost for words. "I mean, the irony is just amazing," continued Sakura with a sarcastic voice, "You hate Li-kun, yet you act like him. Hmm.. So weird... And ironic."  
  
Kero flew in her face and yelled, "I am NOT like that KID! See! I'll tell you!" Sakura sat there, smiling smugly. ~Bingo.~ Kero said, "After you and he get together."  
  
THUD!  
  
"KERO-CHAN! YOU--!!"  
  
Kero grinned. "Nyah! I told you the truth. There IS something I could tell you, but only if you and a certain someone don't get together soon enough! See, I'm not lying! Technically!" Sakura groaned and smashed her face in the pillow.   
  
"I'm smart!" gloated Kero proudly. "No you aren't," Sakura said from the pillow, grabbing him with a free arm and smashed him under a pillow.  
  
"AIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Syaoran flipped the light switch on and walked into the bathroom. He looked at his sleeve and groaned. "This'll need sewing, that's for sure," he said pulling the robes off. He opened the cabinet and rummaged around until he found a long white bandage cloth. He set it on the side and turned the water on in the sink.  
  
He dipped his arm in and washed off all the blood from his wound and dried it. Then he put a medicine thing on it and wrapped the bandage around it securely. That done, he grabbed his robes, flicked off the switch, and made his way to his bedroom.   
  
Syaoran tossed the robes on the floor and fell down in bed. He covered his face with his good arm and sighed loudly. "Kikai..." he mumbled, eyes closed. "You look so much like Sakura yet you two are totally different. And your eyes..." He remembered when he bent down to kiss her, what her expression was. Total bewilderment. ~But... I saw your eyes, and they weren't cold like earlier today at school.. They were gentle and soft..~  
  
He recalled the part his lips met hers and he smiled. ~Her lips are so soft and... I don't know.. Now that I've kissed them I want to kiss them even more than I used to when I first met her... He suddenly frowned. But she's the enemy... And she says she's full of hate... But if she was, she wouldn't have let me kiss her so easily.~  
  
His smile grew warmer. "Wait, Kikai, I'll show you what love is.."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yue spotted Syaoran in his seat and he walked over more quickly.   
  
"Hey, how did it go yesterday?" Yue asked, putting his bag down. Syaoran snapped his head up and blinked. "What?" he asked. Yue stared and repeated, "How did it go yesterday?" Syaoran nodded. "Oh, well. To tell you the truth, I beat her."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
Syaoran winced as Yue fell out from his chair. "You BEAT her?!" the bewildered guardian asked, picking himself up. "How?!" Syaoran looked down. "It wasn't a fair match, really. It started raining and her attention flickered to the thunder. It was a one in a million chance and I took opportunity from it and got her. If I hadn't she would've sliced my neck in half," he said.  
  
Yue sat back down. "I see. But you obviously didn't kill her," he commented, looking out from the window. Syaoran looked out the window too and sighed. "Yea, I guess I didn't," he said. Yue cocked an eyebrow at Syaoran. "Is something wrong with you?" he asked. Syaoran blinked and shook his head. "No, nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?"  
  
Yue shrugged. "You look like you were out of it," he answered simply. Syaoran blushed and replied quickly, "I didn't get enough sleep considering the damage inflicted on my arm." Yue looked at his arm and finally noticed a bit of bandage. "I was wondering if you got injured or not," he said.   
  
Syaoran laughed grimly. "If I wear my jacket it won't show the bandage, but it's too hot so I took it off. I just have to be careful not to lift this arm a lot. Or let other people see," he said.   
  
"Let other people see what?" Tomoyo asked from behind. Syaoran and Yue jerked and stiffened. "How long were you there?" Yue asked. Sakura popped out from behind Tomoyo and said, "Long enough to hear something about not seeing something?" Syaoran mumbled something and said louder, "It's nothing."  
  
Sakura blinked. Then, "Hey, this better not be involved with Kero-chan!" Syaoran stared at her with disbelief. "Why in the world would you think I'd be involved in something with that stuffed-animal?!" he asked, baffled. Tomoyo smothered a laugh and Yue blinked. Sakura shrugged. "I was just asking.."  
  
Syaoran brushed his hand away dismisably and faced forward. Tomoyo took her seat in front of Syaoran and Sakura sat in the seat behind Yue. "I wonder where Kikai is today?" Tomoyo asked, looking at the clock. "It's almost class." Yue clutched his hair and said, "Who cares."  
  
Syaoran smirked. "Maybe someone does care, Yue," he said playfully. Yue looked up at him. "And who, pray tell, would miss that snake?" he asked sarcastically. Syaoran rolled his eyes up innocently and responded, "I dunno. Just maybe someone does.." Yue snorted and looked back at the chalkboard.  
  
Then the bell rang and Mr.Terada walked in and took roll as usual. But this time he had another student.   
  
"Oh my God!" exclaimed Sakura. "Isn't that Eriol-kun?!" Tomoyo nodded. "Yea, but what's he doing here?" Yue snapped his head up with the familair sense of magic. "Eriol.." he mumbled. Syaoran looked up and glared. "What's he doing here?" he asked pensively.   
  
"Beats me, that's what Tomoyo-chan asked," answered Sakura. Mr.Terada blinked at Eriol and said to the class, "Well, mighty time for exchange students.. Class, please welcome Hiiragizawa Eriol from England. Anyone from Tomeda probably remembers him so please be nice. Okay then, we'll seat Eriol right by..." Mr.Terada looked around. "I know, next to Yue."  
  
Eriol's eyebrows lifted up at the name and he walked down and took his seat. "So, Yue, what are you doing in school?" Eriol asked calmly. Yue blinked. "I think that's something we all here would like to ask you," he said. Everyone else nodded. Eriol looked up and said, "Well, I'm here because I knew the Dark Clow Cards were here. I know Kikai is here. But she obviously skipped school today. Hm, wonder why..."  
  
Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. And because you're sort of Clow Reed.." Eriol nodded. "Yes, I am," he said. Syaoran continued. "Because you are, then you could give us more backround information on these Dark Clow Cards." Sakura nodded. "That's right! We really need all the help we can get, Eriol-kun!" she exclaimed.  
  
Eriol laughed lightly. "Yes, I've come to help, so of course I'll give you the information needed. Just wait until after school, is that alright?" he asked politely. Everyone nodded except Yue. So Kikai skipped school because she knew Eriol was coming... Bizzare. Is she that cautious of him?~   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The day ended and the teacher let the class go. All the students shuffled out and Sakura and Tomoyo eagerly awaited Eriol's arrival by the gates.   
  
"Finally!" Sakura cried out, noticing Eriol. He was chatting with Syaoran and Yue was just walking behind them, a thoughtful expression on his face.  
  
Sakura tilted her head and said when they reached, "So, how about we all go to Tomoyo-chan's house?" Everyone nodded and Tomoyo smiled. "Yes, of course," she said happily.   
  
They were all taken to Tomoyo's big big house mansion and sat in the living room. "Too bad Kero-chan isn't here," Sakura commented, seeing all the goodies on the table. "I guess I'll have to bring him some then," she said, sweatdropping. Yue stared at the candies and looked away.   
  
"So, has Akizuki-san and Spinel-san come with you from England?" Sakura asked Eriol when they were all settled. "Oh God, not her," Syaoran blurted out. "She hangs onto Touya every single time she sees him. I mean, great for me, but it's kind of too much I think." Sakura smiled and sweatdropped. "Yea, uh, right."  
  
Eriol smiled. "Yes, well... Actually, I've come alone. I didn't think I'd be needing them here considering Sakura-san, Mistress of The Sakura Cards, Yue and Cerberus, the two guardians, and Syaoran, the swordsman. I didn't think we'd need anymore help," he said, picking up his cup of tea and sipping it slowly. "Ah, very delicious."  
  
Tomoyo smiled. "Have more, everyone." Yue eyed Tomoyo and said, "Please excuse me but I'll be outside. Could someone tell me whatever Eriol's says later?" Sakura nodded, "Sure."  
  
Syaoran blinked and turned to Eriol. "So can you tell us about the Dark Clow Cards?" he asked in a serious tone. Eriol stopped sipping his tea. "Yes, of course. The cards Clow made a mistake in creating." He pulled off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Yes, well.. As you people most likely know, those Cards are evil. Pure darkness, and only can be obtained by a dark heart. So Kikai has a dark heart. Well, from what I know, Kikai found the book one day in her bookcase and opened it. Broke the seal. She captured all the cards and became the mistress. But her reasons for coming here, well... She has come here to test you, Sakura-san."   
  
Sakura blinked. "Test me?" she asked, confused. Eriol nodded. "Yes."  
  
"Test you to see what you can do, to prove yourself to her. She will probably have a head to head battle with you, and her guardians with yours. Now, if you were to win, then she'd acknowledge your superiority and return to America, but if you were to lose.. The consequences are extreme. She will take the Sakura Cards and destroy your guardians."  
  
Everyone gasped. "That's horrible!" exclaimed Tomoyo. Syaoran nodded. "I didn't know she was.. She didn't.." he whispered. Sakura stayed silent.  
  
"Now, the cards. Well, Sakura-san, I'm sure you've had dreams about the girl and her cards, ne? Right, okay. Well, you saw two unusual cards, did you not? You did, good. Well, they are the Life and Death Cards. And they have their own powers. Life can control life and Death can conrtrol, well, death. So, if Kikai really wanted to, she could abuse the powers and destroy the entire world. But because she was chosen as the right Card Captor to these cards, she will not because the cards knew she wouldn't abuse the power. But I'm pretty sure if you are engaged in the battle with Kikai, Sakura, then she will either use Life or Death against you. I'm sorry but I cannot tell you how she will use them."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. "She isn't going to use Death and kill everyone, is she?" she asked fearfully. Eriol closed his head and picked up his tea cup. "I'm sorry," he repeated, "but I just cannot tell you. I cannot tell anyone, though Yue and Kero know, they are forbidden to tell you either." Sakura sighed, "I see. Is that it?" Eriol nodded. "Alright, be right back, I'll fill Yue in," Sakura mumbled and walked out to where Yue was standing.  
  
"Sakura-sama," he said when she stood next to him. "What did Eriol say?" Sakura sighed. "A lot," she said. Yue raised a brow. "Like what?" he asked. Sakura closed her eyes and explained, "He told us what Kikai is going to do to me. That she's here to test me, is that what you were hiding from me, Yue-san?"   
  
Yue's cheeks turned pink. "Gomen nasai," he said quickly, "I wasn't sure if I was supposed to tell you or not." Sakura smiled wearily. "It's okay. Well, he said what would happen if I won, or if I..lost.. And, told me what the two cards, Life and Death, could do and that she'd use one of the two in combat." Yue gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, of course. Sakura-sama, I'm sorry but neither Kero nor myself can tell you how she will use them." Sakura laughed a hollow laugh. "That's the exact same thing Eriol-kun said," she said. "I don't think I can do this."  
  
Yue turned his head and stared at his mistress. "Not do it?! Why?" he asked in shock. Sakura looked down and answered, "It's too much. You said she could kill everyone with no magic right away, right?" Yue nodded hesitantly. "Yes, she can."   
  
Sakura contiuned, "Well, I just don't think I can take the responsibility of everyone's life. If I was to lose, she might use Death and kill everyone in Japan! I can't take everyone's life into my hands, it's too much..." Yue turned his whole body and pulled Sakura into a reassuring hug. "Sakura-sama," he said gently, holding her tightly, "Don't lose hope. You will succeed in defeating Kikai, we all believe in you! Just remember..."  
  
He lifted her chin with his finger; Sakura looked up at soft blue eyes. "If you lose Hope, then everything is lost," Yue whispered delicately. Sakura blinked slowly and nodded. Yue smiled. "Why don't you go back in, okay?" Sakura looked at him. "Where are.." she started. Yue stepped back and answered, "Letting my other form take over for a while," and he flew away.  
  
Eriol blinked from inside and adjusted his glasses. "Is it just me or does Yue have a crush on Sakura-san?" he asked questionably. Tomoyo laughed and Syaoran rolled his eyes. "No, he likes Tomoyo," Syaoran said sarcasticly. Eriol raised a brow. "So.. How long has Yue had this crush on Sakura-san?" he asked. Tomoyo shrugged and answered, "I don't know, but until now he seemed to keep it a secret. I guess because Kikai is here and threatening Sakura-chan and actually inflicting damage from time to time, Yue-san has felt the need to protect Sakura-chan." She sighed happily and smiled with hearts in her eyes and said, "It's so romantic!"  
  
Eriol and Syaoran sweatdropped.  
  
"Yea, well, whatever," Syaoran said, brushing his hand dismissably, "it really doesn't matter to me, Tomoyo. You jsut seem to get caught up in whatever couple comes across you. And God forbid that ever happen. I pity Sakura and Yue if you try and play match..maker..." He stopped when he saw Tomoyo staring at him.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
THUD!  
  
Eriol blinked. Syaoran twitched on the floor. "To tell you the truth," Eriol said, mused, "I think Sakura-san and Yue are a good couple." Syaoran sat up and stared at Eriol with exasperation. "You might as well be saying Kikai and I will go and get married and have ten billion kids," he said in a sarcastic voice. Tomoyo and Eriol looked at each other; Tomoyo looked up and put her finger to her chin. "Well, you guys do make a good couple..." she said.   
  
"NANI?!"  
  
Eriol nodded. "And it's possible... You two have pretty same attitude. Hm, wow.. ten billion kids..ouch."  
  
"YOU TOO?!"  
  
Tomoyo got starry eyed and said with her hands clasped together, "Li-kun and Kikai! Kawaii!!" Syaoran sweatdropped and fell back, passed out with swirly anime eyes. Syaoran: @_@  
  
Sakura stepped in followed by Yue. When she saw Syaoran sprawled on the ground she pointed and asked bluntly, "Do I even want to know?" Eriol and Tomoyo looked at her and said together, "No." Sakura nodded. "I thought so."  
  
  
Ok, I finally done.. Actually, to tell you all the truth, I put off posting this chapter for about three days..- -' Well, in a way it's good `cause I'm almost done with chapter five. It's probably gonna be the shortest chapter.. Unless I make Kero and Kiri meet in the same one! @_@ Then it'll be pretty long.   
  
Yes I do not own Card Captor Sakura, do not sue me. Yet, I want to. But do you see me whining like a certain author I know? *cough*ayametakaishi*cough* Aherm.. Anywayz... Sorry all. I know this took forever. I think this chapter really sucked out of all of them. Oh well. Live and learn. - -;; And does anyone besides me think that Cerberus's English voice sound weird and demented? `Cause I sure think it does, too deep and ugh. Yue's voice.. I can live with it. I hope I can live with Eriol-kun's...T.T And Nakuru-chan's!  
  
R&R as always, please! ^ ^  
  
  
  
  



	5. Meet

Testing The Sakura Card Mistress  
Five-Meet  
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
Touya ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. "This is boring," he said. He debated about watching T.V. but decided against it. "Everything on is probably crap," he said aloud, pushing himself from the chair and grabbing his jacket.   
  
He opened and locked the door on his way out and headed in any direction. He stopped when he saw a girl with light blue hair leaning by a tree, staring at the ground. He felt somehow attracted to her. ~Who is she? What is she doing, just standing there..~ "Oi," he called out. "Are you okay?" The girl looked up.  
  
Touya walked closer and asked, "Are you alright?" The girl smiled. "Why do you ask?" Touya shrugged. "You looked like you were spacing out," he answered truthfully. The girl blinked, then laughed gently. "Sorry, but I was just thinking.."  
  
Touya raised a brow. "About wha-Mmf!" He clamped his hand over his mouth suddenly and turned red with embarrassment. He was asking a girl he didn't even know what she was thinking about! ~What's wrong with you today, Touya!~ He mentally kicked himself.   
  
"Is something bothering you?" the girl asked. Touya sweatdropped and smiled, "Uh..nothing!" The girl looked at him.   
  
"Hey, Touya! Is that you?" asked a familiar voice.   
  
Touya turned his head and saw a boy with grey hair and glasses running towards him. "Hey, Yuki!" he greeted. "What's up?" Yukito stopped when he reached Touya and the girl . "Who's this?" he asked. "Did you pick up another friend?" The girl blinked. "My name is Reisei," the girl, Reisei, said.  
  
Touya blinked. "Oh." Yukito smiled and said nicely, "Hajimemashita." Reisei smiled. "Yes, the feeling's mutual," she said back. Touya looked back between the two. ~`Ey... Reisei is like a female Yuki!...Creepy..~ Yukito reached out his hand towards Reisei and she took it. They both shook hands. "You want to go somewhere, Reisei?" Yukito asked. "I came over to go somewhere with Touya but you're welcome to tag along if you want to."  
  
Yue's eyes narrowed by the connection. ~She isn't human.~ He looked Reisei over. ~Not all... She looks like..~  
  
~"You aren't stupid, you just don't know how to handle girls."~  
  
~Tsumetai!~  
  
Yukito instantly pulled his hand back. "Wha.." Reisei mumbled, surprised. "What's wrong, Yuki?" Touya asked. "Did something hurt you?" Yukito shook his head. "No.." He looked at Reisei. "I don't know, something made me pull my hand away. Sorry." Reisei blinked, "It's okay," and stuck her hands in her pockets.   
  
"I guess I could.." Reisei said, glancing at Touya, "If he doesn't mind." Touya blinked and replied, "Ano.. I don't mind at all." He grinned. "Might be fun to have female company for once." Yukito looked up at him. "Then why don't you invite Nakuru-chan to stay with us, ne?" he asked.  
  
Touya sweatdropped and fell down.  
  
Reisei looked down at Touya. "Eh.. So where did you two plan to go?" Yukito shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe the aquarium?" he suggested. Reisei smiled. "Great, I love aquatic animals," she said. ~I'm sure you do...~ Yue thought sarcastically. Yukito elbowed Touya gently, "Well, is the aquarium okay?" he asked. Touya nodded. "Fine with me."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'd like a ice cream sundae with chocolate, nuts, pieces of banana.. candy sprinkles, and a cherry on top," Yukito ordered the waiter while Touya, Reisei and himself were sitting at a table in the aquarium. Reisei stared at Yukito. ~Ne... How does he keep himself so slim if he eats so much? Besides.. He isn't..~  
  
"And I'd like a strawberry milkshake on the side," added Yukito. He turned to Touya and Reisei and asked, "Now, what would you two like?" Reisei smiled and sweatdropped. Touya's lips curved upward slightly and he said, "I'd like a chocolate milkshake, please."   
  
Reisei said, "Nothing for me." Yukito blinked at her and asked, "You sure you don't want anything?"  
  
"Yea." The waiter nodded and left. Touya leaned forward in his chair and asked, "So, Reisei, are you new to Japan?" Reisei nodded slightly. "Yes, I am," she answered softly. Touya blinked and Yukito smiled. "It's okay to be new, Reisei," he said. Reisei smiled a little.  
  
"Where did you come from?" Touya asked. Reisei answered, "America."   
  
"America, huh?" said Touya. "Is it fun there?" Reisei rolled her eyes thoughtfully. "No. Well... It's because I...'live' there," she responded. Touya raised a brow. "Ah... So I guess you'd find Japan interesting." Reisei nodded. "Hopefully."  
  
The waiter came back with the deserts. "Arigato," Yukito said, taking his and passing the other one to Touya. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" Yukito asked again. Reisei nodded. "Not hungry," she answered. ~Not even curious.~  
  
Touya sipped his milkshake and said, "So how old are you?" Reisei sweatdropped and looked up. "Well.. I uh, hehe.. Um.." she said. Touya and Yukito exchanged glances and Touya asked, "You don't even know how old you are?" Reisei shook her head violently and answered, "I'm twenty!" Touya raised a brow but kept drinking his milkshake.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Nee.. Where'd Kikai go?" Sakura asked, walking in English Class. Tomoyo sat down in her seat behind Sakura and said, "I don't know. You can ask Li-kun.. Look, there he is." Sakura looked up and saw Syaoran walk to his seat next to Sakura and sit down with a sigh.   
  
Sakura and Tomoyo exchanged glances. "Li-kun, do you know where Kikai is?" Sakura asked. Syaoran glanced at her and answered dully, "No. Why would I know?" Sakura blinked. "I was just wondering." Syaoran looked around. "So Yue decided to let Touya and Yukito have some time together than come and watch over you?" he asked.   
  
Tomoyo nodded. "Well, he felt like Yukito-san and Touya-san should have some time together, and he said that Kikai probably wouldn't show up because of Eriol-kun."  
  
"She was here for homeroom and second class," Sakura said thoughtfully. "So she ditched," Syaoran said, opening his English book. "Do you think she'll be back?" Tomoyo asked, doing the same. Sakura and Syaoran shrugged. "She might," Syaoran replied, "maybe she needed to take care of something.."  
  
Sakura snapped her head up. "You don't think she'll go and attack Yukito-san and Oniisan, do you?!" she asked fearfully. Syaoran looked up at her. "I doubt it. You got to remember, Yukito is only the false form of Yue. So he can turn into Yue anytime." Sakura nodded reluctantly. "I suppose.."   
  
Tomoyo smiled. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. Yue can take care of Kikai," she said reassuringly. Sakura nodded again, taking out her English book and opening its pages.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Yea, I wanted to check out the bookstore. I hear they have good books-" Reisei cut off her sentence and stood up abruptly. Touya and Yukito looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?" Reisei glanced around, purple eyes going back and forth. ~She's here...~  
  
Yue jerked. ~Kikai's here! Damnit, I can't show my form... Not in front of these people..~  
  
Reisei turned around and looked up. Then she saw a girl in a blue school uniform and dark hazel hair and umistakably blue eyes. "Kikai!" she whispered. Something silver gleamed in the shadows and Reisei recognized it as the Dark Sealing Wand. Kikai looked down at her and nodded. Reisei nodded back very slightly, understanding. The rivalry between Yue and Tsumetai was obvious, but they weren't going to attack out in the open like this. Yes..  
  
And then from the shadows a thunder bolt stuck the glass containing the fish and other waterlife. People started screaming and running. Touya covered his eyes with his arm to blind the flash and so did Yukito. When it was over Touya opened his eyes. "Yuki, are you okay?!" he asked. Yukito nodded wearily, looking up. "I am.. Ah! Where's Reisei?" he asked, looking around. Touya glanced. "I don't know." Another thunder bolt struck the tank harder and made cracks in the glass.   
  
"Damnit, we can't stay here!" Touya shouted, grabbing Yukito's hand and pulling him away from the tables. "Demo.." Yukito whispered. A third thunder bolt caused the tank to finally crack all the way and break open. The room flooded and all the people screamed, trying to get away. "Tou-!" Yukito managed to say before he was pulled under by the force of the water.   
  
"YUKI!" Touya yelled, diving under. He could see Yukito's unconscious body and tried to reach out to him but a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him up. "What do you think you're doing, kid?" a man asked. Touya glared at him. "Let me go, I've got to save him!" he said angrily, trying to pull free. But the man was stronger and dragged Touya out of the aquarium.   
  
"You're safer here," the man said. "Leave your friend to the fire department. They'll get him out when they arrive." Touya balled his hands into fists and said through gritted teeth, "By the time they get here, Yuki'll be DEAD!" The man turned to him and said, "You'll just have to believe he'll survive. Were there any other people you could see trapped in there?"  
  
Touya faced the other way and nodded.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yukito could feel his consciousness leaving as he was being pulled under. He could barely hear Touya yelling his name. Then someone came and took Touya away. He was going to pass out when two hands caught his arms and pulled him away, into the back in the staff's room.  
  
He coughed for some time and looked up. He could see a female shape with black behind its back but without his glasses it wasn't very clear. Then he saw the female's hand and his glasses being passed to him. He took them gratefully and put them on. Then he looked back at the girl and gasped slightly.  
  
"Oh, who..are you?" he asked tentively. The female was wearing a sleeveless light blue robe that opened in the middle and had a grey covering. Her waist was covered in a deep red and a bow in the back. And the robe split down the middle on both sides. And the black Yukito saw was two devil wings.   
  
He was totally bewildered by this new appearence, yet he felt familiar to her. The grey blue hair, lavender eyes, and her expression reminded him of someone.  
  
"Yukito, daijoubu desu ka?" she asked. Yukito's eyes widened.   
  
"Reisei!" he exclaimed. The girl who looked like Reisei smiled slightly but shook her head. "I'm not Reisei. Ask your true form who I am.." Yukito blinked. "Huh?" The girl folded her arms across her chest and said, "Reisei is my false form, like you're the false form of Yue." Yukito asked, "How do you know about Yue?"  
  
"Because I'm like him. I was created by Clow to judge the person who claimed the Dark Cards as their own."  
  
Yukito gasped. "The Dark Cards? You mean the ones that belong to Kikai? The girl who's attacking Sakura-chan all the time?"   
  
The girl nodded. "Then what's your name?" Yukito asked. "It's Tsumetai," answered Tsumetai.   
  
"So.. why did you choose to meet up with Touya?" Yukito asked.   
  
"I didn't," Tsumetai explained. "My Mistress told me to. To be able to talk to you and tell you everything that's happening. Everyone should have a right to know. Except Sakura because she's the one being tested, although I'm sure the reincarnation of Clow already told her she was going to be tested."   
  
Yukito blinked. "You mean Eriol?" Tsumetai nodded. "Otherwise known as Hiiragizawa Eriol." Yukito nodded. "So.. You're like RubyMoon and Yue. You have a false form, called Reisei. Just like I'm the false form of Yue, and Nakuru-chan is the false form of RubyMoon." Tsumetai nodded. "That's right."  
  
"Is this all you have to say?" Yukito asked suddenly, and quite rudely. Tsumetai blinked. Yukito blushed and smiled slightly. "I guess Yue wanted to say that," he said sheepishly. Tsumetai glanced away and said dryly, "I'm sure he did." She looked back at Yukito and said, "I need to talk with Yue, if you don't mind." Yukito said okay and out came Yue.   
  
"What did you want?" Yue asked coldly. Tsumetai laughed shortly. "You know as well as I that we don't necessarily like each other, but please act calm here. I've no desire to attack you. Yet," she added, smiling.   
  
"Just say what you're going to say," Yue said. Tsumetai nodded. "Right, well, Sakura knows she's going to be tested, doesn't she?" Yue nodded hesitantly. Tsumetai caught this and laughed. "Don't worry, Yue," she said, "I'm not going to attack her. It's not my job to attack her."   
  
Tsumetai fingered her hair and said, "We're expected to battle each other, are we not?" Yue answered, "Yes, we are. Just like Cerberus and Kiriokami will battle.." He looked up. "So that means Kiri will go and meet Kero also," he said. Tsumetai nodded. "Yep."  
  
"When?" Yue asked, standing up.   
  
"Maybe today?" Tsumetai answered. "Or tomorrow. I don't know exactly. He tends to do things his way." She chuckled. Yue's face remained straight. Tsumetai raised a brow and said casually, "You know, you should really try having more fun, Yue. I'd hate to be you, always so boring. I can't imagine how you would like a ball of energy like Sakura. Then again," she added, "as they say, 'Opposites Attract.' I guess there's truth to those words."  
  
Yue narrowed his eyes. "Are you done? My other forms' friend is probably worrying about him." Tsumetai raised a brow and said with a grin, "Ah, so the silent guardian does have a heart!" Yue glared at her and shot back, "It's not like you have one!" Tsumetai put her hands on her hips and said, "I just enjoy defeating my opponent and letting them know that they'll never beat me. That's all."  
  
Yue snorted. "Whatever." Tsumetai sat down on a table and asked softly, "You really do like Sakura, don't you?" Yue stared at her. "Where'd you get this subject?!" he asked, bewildered. Tsumetai laughed lightly. "Don't know.. But you really like her..ne?"   
  
Yue's left hand gripped the white cloth and he mumbled, "Why do you ask?" Tsumetai's eyes softened. "You'll never admit it, will you?" she said. Yue glanced at her and replied, "You talk as if you actually care. Ironic, since your name means 'cold-hearted'. And ice." Tsumetai smiled and said, "Yea, and yours means 'moon.' But the moon is gentle and sweet. Definitely not you."  
  
The two guardians just stayed there for a few minutes when Tsumetai broke the silence. "You'd better go, Yue," she said, standing up and stretching. "Aren't you coming? They'd think you escaped somehow," Yue said. Tsumetai grinned. "Yea, I guess I go too. Oh, and another thing.."   
  
"Yea, what?"  
  
Tsumetai's expression became gentle.  
  
"If you do need any help with Sakura, you can talk to me. Since Clow made it so I'd look more of a human girl and implanted a female's memory in me.."  
  
Yue glanced back at her. "A girl's memory?" he asked curiously. Tsumetai nodded sadly. "Who's?" asked Yue. "A young girl of thirteen. She was a very lovable person.. Everyone called her the Angel of Love because she always brought happiness.. But she died..." Yue blinked slowly at her. "So you have her memory and your own personality in you?"  
  
Tsumetai nodded again and laughed grimly. "Why do you think I have this name? I'm cold-hearted. Or supposed to be. But Clow wanted me to have a heart.. He didn't want me to be a monster."  
  
Then she laughed again and jumped up. "Well, shall we be going?" she asked, her face forced into a happy expression. ~She's trying to act normal..~ Yue thought. He nodded. "Yea.."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Touya gripped his pants with his hands and gritted his teeth. There was no way he could take this any longer. The fire department had come, but said they hadn't found anyone. ~Yuki... He..~ "I just can't stand this!" he yelled, standing up and running towards the aquarium. The man saw him and jumped in front. "You can't go in there!" the man repeated for the millionth time.  
  
"Why!?" demanded Touya. "The fire people said no one was there, that it wasn't going to explode or anything! So what's so wrong with me going in to look for myself?!" The man shook his head. "We can't take any chances. They couldn't explain where the thunder bolts came from so it's off limits."  
  
Touya clentched his hands into fists and squeezed his eyes shut. His head bent and shoulders sagging, he looked as if he lost a loved one. ~I did...~   
  
"Hey, Touya!" called out a faint voice.  
  
Touya snapped his head up. ~Am I hearing things?... That sounded like Yuki..~ He heard footsteps behind him and a hand was placed on his shoulder. "Touya?" the voice asked. "You ignoring me or something?" Touya whipped around and gasped in happiness, "Yuki!"  
  
Yukito smiled back and said, "Um, hi. Whoa!" Touya pulled Yukito into a fierce hug; his eyes brimming with tears he said, "Where were you, Yuki? The fire department said they didn't see any bodies!" Yukito smiled wearily in the hug and answered, "Yea well.. Reisei pulled me out and we sat in the staff room until we thought it was safe."  
  
Touya looked up. "Reisei?" he asked. She was leaning against a tree, smiling at the two.  
  
"Yes?" she asked.   
  
Touya's eyes brightened. "You're okay too!" he exclaimed. Reisei pushed a strand of hair behind her ears and grinned. "Yea, of course. No problem. A little water isn't going to kill me or Yukito," she said. Touya grinned also. "Okay. Let's go home, Yuki," he said, looking down at the smaller boy. Yukito smiled. "Okay."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura looked up. ~I can sense Kikai near by..~ She looked around. She and Tomoyo were walking to fourth class, Math. Tomoyo noticed Sakura and asked, "What's wrong?" Sakura shrugged and said, "I can feel Kikai near. I don't know where though, but she's here somewhere." Tomoyo looked at Sakura.  
  
The two walked inside Math and sat down in their seats. "Hey, Li-kun, did you sense Kikai around?" Sakura asked. Syaoran glanced at her. "Yes," he said shortly. "Where do you think she was?" Sakura asked. "Is it any of your business?" Syaoran asked. Sakura flinched back by his tone. "I was just wondering.." she said.   
  
Syaoran sighed and took out his Math book. He opened it and proceeded to read their lesson before the bell rang when he felt Kikai walk inside. He didn't look up, but his eyes followed her until she sat down next to him. Without looking, Kikai took out her book and put it in front of her.   
  
Syaoran glanced at her one last time and turned back to his book. Sakura looked back and forth between the two, blinking. Tomoyo chuckled softly. "Hoe?"  
  
Through the whole class, Sakura dully listened to the teacher and kept seeing how many times Syaoran looked back at Kikai. She counted twenty. ~Hooe... he must be very wary of her or something..~ Then the bell rang and everyone shuffled out of the classroom. Sakura waited for Syaoran in the hall. "Hey, do you really not trust Kikai or something?" she asked.   
  
Syaoran glanced at her. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Sakura smiled and sweatdropped. "Because you kept looking at her. I got so bored in Math I counted how many times you did and I got twenty," she said. Syaoran sweatdropped and fell down.  
  
"Hey.. There Kikai goes.." Tomoyo said, pointing at the anti-social girl. Kikai was walking out and away from her next class, and then off the school grounds. Sakura blinked. "Okay, now where is she going?" she asked. Syaoran shrugged. "Who cares.." he mumbled, walking off to fifth class.  
  
Sakura blinked at him. "Why did he get so moody, Tomoyo-chan?" she asked. Tomoyo giggled again. "What?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo smiled. "Oh, it's nothing, Sakura-chan," she said. Sakura puffed her cheeks. "Is it just me or is everyone keeping secrets from me?" Sakura asked walking. Tomoyo followed her and said, "Why do you say that?"  
  
"Well," Sakura said, "Kero-chan wouldn't tell me something either. About being with someone else and he'd tell me if I wasn't going to go with that other person." Tomoyo giggled again. "Oh, that," she replied. Sakura looked at her. "You know too?"   
  
Tomoyo nodded.   
  
"What was he keeping from me?" Sakura asked warily. Tomoyo shook her head. "Sorry, can't tell you," she answered, "it might ruin everything." Sakura sighed, exasperated as they walked into fifth class.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kero stuffed another piece of chocolate in his mouth as he watched T.V.   
  
"Ah man, there's nothing good on!" he grumbled, fumbling with the remote and pushing a button. The T.V. buzzed out and Kero flew over to his little drawer-bed. He stashed the chocolate in. "I'll just save this for later-!!"  
  
He snapped his head up. "I sense trouble.." he said, looking around. He felt a very familiar presense.   
  
"Kero-chan!" exclaimed a voice, tackling Kero from behind.   
  
"Wha-OOOOF!" Kero tumbled backwards. The thing that tackled him laughed. He got up and rubbed his head. "Kiri, I knew it was you," he mumbled, grinning. Kiri made a thumbs-up and said, "So how's it going, Kero-chan?" he asked.   
  
Kero brushed himself off and fluttered to the desk. Kiri followed. "Ah, it's been okay," Kero answered. Kiri pawed his ear and said, "Hm, so you know why I'm here?"   
  
Kero shook his head.  
  
Kiri smacked Kero in the back with his bushy tail. "Baka, I'm here `cause Mistress said to come and talk to you about the Testing," he said matter-of-factly. Kero snorted. "I already know about it," he answered. "We got to fight each other, right?" Kiri nodded.   
  
Kiri looked up. "Well, I think that's it," he said. He looked down. "Oo, chocolate!" He jumped down into Kero's drawer-bed.   
  
"HE-HEY!" yelled Kero, jumping down and grabbing the chocolate away from Kiri. "These are MINE!" he said. Kiri pouted. "Nee... Piggy Pig Pig.." he said. Then he saw the video games...  
  
"WOWIEZ!" Kiri exclaimed, jumping down to the video games. He pushed a button and the T.V. flared on. Another button and the game came on screen. A 'Continue?' and 'Data' came on. He pushed a button on the controller. And...  
  
"OH NO!" Kero screamed.  
  
"'Are you sure you want to delete saved data?'?" Kiri read. "'OK?'" He pushed the button. "OK!" he said happily. Kero went dead and fell off the drawer.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Eriol-kun, do you think Kikai will come back?" Sakura asked, sitting down in her seat. Eriol took his and answered, "I don't know. I'm sure she will.. I doubt she wants a totally bad record in school. And she can't just stay out, the police might see her in her uniform and make her come back."  
  
Sakura nodded. "You're probably right.." she said. "Ah, so Tomoyo-san and Syaoran have different classes from us?" Eriol asked, adjusting his glasses. Sakura nodded. "Yea, the only class I'm apart from Tomoyo-chan and Li-kun," she answered. Eriol glanced at her.  
  
"I'm sure Syaoran is hating this, ne?" he asked playfully. Sakura blushed and shook her head. "Nah.." Eriol smiled and looked up. He blinked. "Well, I guess Kikai did come back," he said. Sakura also looked up and saw Kikai taking her seat in back.   
  
"Neee...All she's doing is sitting with her eyes closed," Sakura said. Eriol raised a brow. "I'm sure she's going to hate this class for as long as I stay here," he said. Sakura blinked at him. "Why's that?" she asked, curious.  
  
Eriol looked at her. "Kikai doesn't take a liking to me, that's all," he answered. Sakura blinked. "Doshite?" Eriol shrugged. "I don't know. It doesn't really matter to me, it's not like we need to be friends or anything." He glanced back at Kikai. ~But we do need to talk..~  
  
The final bell rang and everyone practically created a stampede running out. Eriol waited for Sakura and the two of them walked out like civilized people and met with Syaoran and Tomoyo by the gates.   
  
"So, did Kikai come back?" Tomoyo asked. Sakura and Eriol nodded. "Hai," Sakura said, making her backpak strap more comfortable. Syaoran turned his head. "Look, there she is," he said, pointing. Everyone turned their heads and saw Kikai walking off campus and around the corner.   
  
Eriol started walking towards her. "Eriol-kun, where are you going?" Sakura asked. Eriol turned back and said, "I need to speak with Kikai alone for a bit." Syaoran instantly glared at Eriol. Eriol simply smiled at Syaoran.   
  
Sakura looked at the two back and forth. "Hoooeee..."  
  
Syaoran finally turned around and folded his arms by his chest. Eriol smiled again and said, "Don't worry, Syaoran. I won't do anything." Syaoran gave him the 'stink eye' and looked the other way. Sakura and Tomoyo sweatdropped.   
  
Eriol turned and started walking. Soon he could see Kikai a couple feet in front of him. Then she stopped. Eriol's mouth curved upwards. ~She senses my aura.~ He stopped about three feet from her and said, "So, I see you finally came to Japan to test Sakura-san." Kikai turned her head slightly towards him.   
  
"Yes, I have," she answered curtly. Eriol raised a brow. "And I'm assuming Tsumetai and Kiriokami are here also?" Kikai nodded slightly. Eriol put his hands behind his back and said, "Well, did you let them meet up with Yue and Cerberus yet?" Again, she nodded.   
  
"When do you plan to attack?" Eriol asked. Kikai narrowed her eyes. "I cannot tell you that," she said sternly. "I cannot tell you anything specific." Eriol propped his hands at his sides. "You know, you're very mature for a girl of eighteen, Kikai," he commented.   
  
Kikai fully turned around and faced Eriol. "You also," she said, her lips turning upwards slightly. "But then again, what can I expect. You are the reincarnation of Clow Reed himself." Eriol laughed softly. "Yes, of course." Then he straightened his face. "Kikai, I need to ask you a question. It has nothing to do with the testing."  
  
Kikai put a hand to her hip. "What is it?" she asked nonchantly. Eriol sighed and pulled off his glasses. "Kikai.. How do you feel about Syaoran?" he asked cautiously. Kikai's face remained the same as she responded, "I feel nothing of him." eriol raised a brow.  
  
"Kikai, whatever you feel of him," Eriol said, rubbing his glasses, "I wish that you wouldn't be...heartless around him." Kikai glanced at him. "What do you mean, Eriol?" she asked. Eriol put his glasses back on and looked directly at Kikai. "I don't know if Syaoran told you this, although I very much doubt that he did, he is..shall we say..quite fond of you."  
  
Kikai narrowed her eyes. "And I don't care," she said. "It's his own fault if he grows fond of me. I didn't do anything to him to make him like me," she spat. Eriol sighed. "Just.. Please, Kikai. Syaoran is almost.. Well, since I am part of Clow, Syaoran is my decendant. I feel the need to make sure he is happy and that nothing harms him."  
  
Kikai narrowed her eyes still. "Fine. I won't be heartless to him, Eriol. But I will not return the feeling he has for me. It isn't, and never will be, mutual," she said, turning around and walking away.  
  
Eriol breathed a sigh of relief. "At least she said she'd treat him decently," he said to himself. "Well, actually she said she wouldn't be heartless to him.." Then he smiled. "Yet I know she likes him back.. She'll never admit it, but just by seeing her face when I mentioned her name..." He looked up at the clouds. "Syaoran, just don't push your luck."  
  
Yes, yes, done. - -'Eh? What's that? You think Kikai and Syaoran aren't a good couple? Ah, oh well. I think they are. You know how they say opposites attract? Well, mom told me that you either gotta be real opposite of the other person, or really alike. Hm, what are things Syaoran and Kikai have in common? Serious, swordpeoplez, skilled in magic, both like chocolate, don't have best recipe, pretty anti-social at first, needs someone to open them up(in this case it's Syaoran) and they have brown hair... Does that count? *everyone fallz down*  
  
Ah, whateva. I was sooo bored I made stats for the new chars. So if you wanna know, keep reading. I'll put one for each new chapter. Bwa hahahaha...o.O'  
  
~*Kikai Tylers*~   
Birthday: November 21  
Blood Type: B  
Favorite Subject: None  
Least Favorite Subject: Math  
School Club: None  
Favorite color Black (No deh) and Dark Green  
Favorite Flower: Black Rose (Do those exist? ..Yea, if you put it in black dyed water..- -')  
Favorite Food: Chocolate & Sweet things  
Least Favorite Food: Octopus  
Best Recipies: None  
Want: Secret (Meaning they don't know, right?)  
Love: ? 


	6. Dates

Testing The Sakura Card Mistress  
Six-Dates   
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
Reisei knocked on the apartment's door. She could hear footsteps and the door opened. "Hey, Reisei," Touya said. "Come in." Reisei walked in and Touya shut the door. He led her to the table. "Want some tea?" he asked. Reisei nodded. Touya went into the kitchen and to make tea.  
  
Reisei looked at her hands and sighed. ~How to explain this...uh..~ "Here," Touya said, putting the tea mug by Reisei and sitting down across from her. Reisei looked at it and said hesitantly, "Where's Yukito?" Touya drank some of his tea and answered, "He went off with Sakura and Tomoyo." He looked at her. "Why?" Reisei looked down and muttered, "Just curious."  
  
Touya raised a brow. Reisei put her hands on the table and said, "Touya, what I'm about to do is very important and it might shock you a bit but I need to tell you, I'm not going to hurt you." Touya blinked. "Ano.. Nani?" he asked, confused. Reisei sighed. "Just don't freak out, okay?" Touya nodded slowly.   
  
Reisei breathed a sigh of relief and then she fell back into a dark light. "Reisei!" Touya said. "What the hell.." Then Touya saw a girl with two black devil wings and a strange outfit. His eyes widened. "Just who the hell are you?" he asked. The girl closed her eyes and answered, "Touya, it's me, Reisei." Touya raised a brow, but his eyes were still big.   
  
"Wha-What?!" he asked, baffled.   
  
"Well, actually, my name is Tsumetai," she said. Touya's eyes went even more big. "Tsu-Tsumetai?! You mean the one who attacked Yue and Sakura?! It was you?!" he demanded.  
  
Tsumetai nodded. Touya stood up and grabbed Tsumetai's shirt in his fist. "How can you even show yourself in front of me, knowing what you've done!" he spat. Tsumetai's brow pushed down and she said, "Look, Touya. I'm sorry. But I was engaged in a battle with Yue and she took over." She opened her eyes and said desperately, "I had no choice but to fight her!" Touya gritted his teeth and pulled his fist back. "You deserve this," he hissed.   
  
Tsumetai closed her eyes again. Touya glared at Tsumetai's pained face and his fist loosened. He let her go and sat back down, sighing. "So, why are you doing this then?" he asked.   
  
"I couldn't keep this a secret," Tsumetai said quietly, "because if I did, you might have freaked if I needed to do this later on. Everyone knows who I am. But they don't know my false form. Only you and Yukito know." Touya put his hand on his forehead and said, "Is this all you wanted to tell me? Or is there something more important?"   
  
Tsumetai nodded. "Yes, there is." Touya leaned back. "Okay, what is it?" he asked. Tsumetai opened her eyes and glanced the other way. "You know that Yue is the guardian of Sakura, right?" she asked. Touya nodded, not understanding. "Well, Yue and Sakura have known each other for..how long?"   
  
"About seven years I think."  
  
Tsumetai smiled. "Yes, of course. That would give them time to..uh.." Touya raised a brow. "Uh..? Time to..?" he asked. Tsumetai sighed and rubbed her temples. "Touya, to put simply, I believe Yue has fallen in love with your sister," she said.  
  
CLICK  
  
"WHAT?!"   
  
Tsumetai nodded. "You must be joking," Touya said. Tsumetai shook her head. "Not joking. It's the truth," she said solemly. Touya twitched. "But-But.." Tsumetai sighed. "But Yue is Yukito and you and Yukito are together. Plus, you don't want your little sister to taken away by anyone because she's dear to you. And you can't forget the fact that her first relationship with Syaoran was painful for her because he left. Am I right?"  
  
Touya stared at her. "How'd you know?"   
  
Tsumetai grinned. "The way you act. Plus the fact that I know Syaoran and Sakura used to be together," she answered. Touya laughed a hollow laugh. "You're ABSOLUTELY sure that Yue loves my sister?" Tsumetai nodded. "Touya, listen to me. Sakura needs someone to lean on and you can't always be there for her."  
  
Touya sighed and nodded in agreement. "Yea, I guess you're right. Besides, it's better than she going back with that brat." Tsumetai laughed. "Well, I guess I should go now, ne?" she said, and returned back into her false form. "Yea," Touya said. "Hey, Reisei?" Reisei looked up. "Yes?" she asked.   
  
Touya smiled and said, "Thanks for telling me. I think I'll respect Yue and Sakura. Hell, I'll try and help you and whoever else to try and get them together." Reisei blinked, then grinned. "Arigato, Touya. Yue is like my brother, and I want him to be happy." She walked to the door and grabbed the knob. She looked back and said, "I'll try and talk to Yue again. He's so stubborn, he won't admit his feelings for her. Well, wish me luck."   
  
Touya nodded and Reisei left.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Onegai, Yue-san! Just wear this for once! Only today!" said Tomoyo, holding up a plain white dress shirt and long brown pants. Yue eyed them and said, "No way. I only wear this. Besides, why the hell are you trying to get me to wear this stuff?!" Tomoyo blinked. "Why, because you and Sakura are going out to the Ice Cream Shop!" she explained. "Now hurry up and put these on!!"  
  
Yue looked at Sakura, who smiled and sweatdropped. She shook her head and shrugged. "Don't ask meee.." she said. Yue gritted his teeth and sweatdropped. Tomoyo stuffed the clothes in Yue's face and pointed to the bathroom. "Change in these clothes right now and go with Sakura to the Ice Cream Shop or I'll make sure you don't see her until the testing is over," Tomoyo whispered slyly.   
  
Yue's eyes widened and he grumbled. Reluctantly, he grabbed the clothes and stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Sakura blinked and stared at Tomoyo. "How did you ever make him listen to you?" she asked, bewildered. Tomoyo smiled and said innocently, "Oh, I just told him a few things I'd do.." Sakura sweatdropped.   
  
Three minutes later.. Yue came out, looking pissed off. "Happy?" he said angrily at Tomoyo. She smiled. "Hai," she asnwered happily. "Although I think this is way too plain for me.. Here!" She handed him a tan tie. "Put this on!"  
  
Yue took it and stared. "What in the world... How am I supposed to put this on?" he asked Sakura. Sakura shrugged and pulled it out of Yue's hand. He looked at her questionably. She stepped in front of him and said, "Tilt your head up." Yue obeyed. Then he felt Sakura's hands wrapping the tie around his neck, under the collar. She put the two ends together and tied it till it looked like a decent tie.   
  
She stepped back. "Well?" she asked. Yue put his head down. "How did you know how to do it?" he asked. She waved her hand dismissably and said, "I had plenty of practice with Oniisan. He could never get his tie straight for work before. Personally I don't think he can. I think Yukito-san has to do it for him." Yue smiled a bit. "He does," he replied. Sakura blinked and laughed.   
  
"KAAAAAAAAWAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!" exclaimed Tomoyo from behind the couch. The two jumped up and stared at her. Tomoyo had her recorder in hand and her eyes were shining. "You two are so KAWAII together!" she cried out, her cheeks all pink. Yue and Sakura's faces turned bright red like over cooked tomatoes on a summer's day at the beach with no sunscreen.   
  
"To-Tomoyo-chan," Sakura stuttered, all flustered. Tomoyo opened her eyes and said, "Well, you are!" Yue pulled at his collar and mumbled, "Okay, I'm wearing this..outfit, Sakura's going like that.. Ano, where's the Ice Cream Shop?"   
  
"Hooooooooooeeeeeeeee!!!" THUD!  
  
Tomoyo closed her eyes happily and said, "By the bookstore..A little farther down! Sakura-chan can show you if you get confused." Yue nodded. "Um.. Money.." he said. Tomoyo grinned and placed a wallet in Yue's hand. He looked inside. "Five hundred dollars?" Yue asked aloud. Tomoyo nodded, smiling.  
  
Sakura heard and looked at the money with big eyes. "To-Tomoyo-chan!" she exclaimed, hands at her face, "Why'd you give Yue-san so much money??" Tomoyo held up the recorder and answered, "So he can spend it all on you." Sakura's blush deepened. Yue blinked. "How do I know what Sakura-sama wants, Tomoyo?" he whispered in her ear. Tomoyo shrugged. "Wherever Sakura-chan takes you."  
  
Yue sighed. This was going to be on hell of a day.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura and Yue sat down at their seats in the Ice Cream Shop and a waiter gave them each a menu. (Picture this place like anyother Ice CreamPalor or whatever.)   
  
"What is all this stuff?" Yue asked, reading the menu. Sakura sweatdropped. ~Tomoyo-chan forgot that Yue-san doesn't eat. Oh well, time to make him try food again!~ She smiled wearily and said, "It's stuff called ice cream. Errr... It's really cold and yummy food and it comes in many different flavors." Yue raised a brow and Sakura's sweatdrop got bigger.  
  
She quickly grabbed her menu and pointed to a picture with a root beer float and showed it to Yue. "I think you'll enjoy this, Yue-san," she said nervously. Yue looked at his menu with the same picture. "I...don't eat anything though.." he said. Sakura laughed nervously and in the back of her mind, she was thinking dark thoughts. ~How the hell did I get stuck doing this?? Tomoyo-chan is going to get it..~ "Ju-Just try it!" she said a little too loudly.  
  
Yue raised another brow and nodded hesitantly. "Okay.. Um, what's up with you, Sakura-sama?" he asked, noticing her disturbing behaivor. (HA! Disturbing..) Sakura got another sweatdrop and said, "Oh! Nothing, nope, nothing at all.." ~Oh Great. I sound like Kero-chan now..~ "And don't call me Sakura-sama in public, okay?" she said. "It'd attract attention. Just call me Sakura-chan." Yue nodded slowly this time.  
  
From like, ten feet away, Tomoyo caught this all on tape. "Aren't they just the cutest couple ever??" she asked. Kero popped his head out from her purse and said, "Whatever. How'd you ever manage to get Yue and Sakura-san to do this?!" Tomoyo looked down at him and smiled mischieviously. "I told Yue that I would make sure he couldn't see Sakura-chan anymore and I told Sakura-chan that I'd tell Yue about how she felt!"  
  
Kero nodded. "Ah.. I seeee.." DING! "How'd you get me to come??" he asked. Tomoyo held up a cookie and said, "Sweet's remember?" Kero's eyes went wide. "Uh huh," he said, totally ignoring her and grabbing the cookie and promptly stuffing it in his face. Tomoyo giggled and kept recording.  
  
The waiter came back and pulled out a pen and notepad. "And what might this young couple want?" he asked. Sakura and Yue blushed and Sakura said, "I-I'd like a strawberry frozen yogurt cone and Yue-san will have a rootbeer float." The waiter nodded and left. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. "Honestly, thinking we're a couple," she said, laughing a little. Yue remained silent.   
  
Soon the waiter came back and gave them their deserts and left to serve another table. Sakura took hers and passed the rootbeer float to Yue. He took it and stared at it. "The hell?" he said. It was foamy on the top and at the bottom he cold see like a creamy white and brown. He gagged. "What is this??" he asked. Sakura licked off the top of the yogurt cone thing and said, "Nani?" Yue pointed to the rootbeer float.   
  
Sakura blinked. "It's just a rootbeer float, Yue-san," she explained. Yue eyed it. "Is it edible?" he asked. Sakura sweatdropped and said, "Of COURSE it's edible. Why would they serve it here?"   
  
"Maybe to kill off people?"  
  
THUD!  
  
Sakura got up and licked off more of the yogurt cone thingy. "Look, Yue-san, pass it here." She put out her hand and Yue passed her the dreadful rootbeer. She took a straw and stuck it in the rootbeer. "Watch," she commanded, putting the straw in her mouth. Yue blinked. "Eh?" Sakura sipped a bit of the rootbeer and swallowed it. She took her mouth off the straw. "See?" she said, taking it out, "it isn't poison. Now drink!" She passed it back to him and stuck a spoon in it.  
  
Yue looked at it suspiciously and grabbed the spoon. He scooped some rootbeer and ice cream in it and brought it to his mouth. He took a deep breath and stuck the spoon in his mouth. He swallowed the rootbeer and ice cream. Sakura looked intently at him. "Well?" she pondered(It was 2:30am when I wrote this). "How is it?" Yue licked his lips and answered, "It was pretty good."   
  
Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and saw Yue eat more of the rootbeer float. Sakura clapped her hands together and exclaimed, "Now we can try Pizza!"   
  
Kero sweatdropped. "He can only take so much at a time, Sakura.."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Oi, Kiri! Want to go out somewhere?" Reisei called out in the apartment. Kiri popped out of nowhere (not literally) and said, "Yea! let's go!" Reisei grinned and walked out the apartment door. Kiri followed and they went down stairs.  
  
"Reisei, could I talk to you?" a boy's voice asked from the corner of the building. Reisei turned and blinked. "Eh? Who's this?" She blinked at the dark blue haired boy in front of her with glasses. Then she and Kiri freaked.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! IT'S CLOW REED!!" they screamed in unison.   
  
The boy shook his head. "No, no. You've got it wrong. I'm not Clow, Reisei, Kiri. I'm the reincarnation of him, I'm Hiiragizawa Eriol," Eriol explained calmly. Reisei and Kiri exchanged glances and stared at Eriol. "Oh God, what happened to you, Clo-Eriol?" Kiri asked. "You got small.." Eriol sweatdropped. "Yea, well...That's what happened.."  
  
He looked at Reisei. "I'm assuming you know who Syaoran is?" Eriol asked her. Reisei shook her head. "Iie," she answered. Eriol sweatdropped again. "He's a friend of Sakura-san's. Uh.. I believe he's the one with brown hair and amber eyes," he said. Reisei and Kiri nodded. "Now I remember!" Reisei said. "Yea, I saw him before... Err.. Why do you ask?"  
  
Eriol chuckled and pulled off his glasses. "Did you know that Kikai, your Mistress, and Syaoran, engaged in a duel, not too long ago?" he asked, wiping them. Reisei nodded. "Yes, Mistress said she was going to battle someone.." Kiri nodded.   
  
"Well, well," Eriol said, putting them back on. "Did you know that Kikai got kissed by Syaoran after the duel was over?" Reisei and Kiri got big eyes (O_O) and fell down. Kiri got up and said, "You can't be serious!" Eriol nodded. "Dead serious." Reisei got up in time to catch Kiri, who fainted in a dead heap. Reisei looked at Eriol. "You're not kidding?" she asked, disbelieving. Eriol shook his head. "But.. Mistress would've killed Syaoran by then."  
  
Eriol smiled. "That's why I came here, Reisei," he said, "because I know for a fact that Syaoran has fallen in love with your Mistress and that I believe Kikai might like him back a bit." Reisei blinked. "Eh? Mistress? Liking someone? This has got to be a joke!" Eriol shook his head and said solemly, "I'm serious, Reisei. I'd like for you to help me in..uh..shall we say, playing Cupid?" Reisei stared, then started laughing.   
  
"Pla-Playing cupid?" she gasped out, catching her breath. "Sheesh, so now my true form is cupid for Yue and I'm cupid for Mistress and Syaoran?" Eriol blinked. "You're trying to make Yue like someone?" he asked. Resei shook her head and explained, "Yue likes Sakura. I-Tsumetai wants to help him." Eriol 'oh'ed. "Well, that's nice of Tsumetai," he said. "She does have a soft spot I-Clow put in her."   
  
Eriol stuck his hands in his pockets and said, "Reisei, I'd like for you to try and..I don't know.. Maybe try telling Kikai how much Syaoran has a crush on her? Just as if you were saying like you heard it from somewhere? Can you tell Kiri to do that also?" Reisei looked down at the fainted beast and said, "Okay. We were going to go out. Actually, I wanted to go to this really cool BookStore Kikai mentioned. I saw tons of books at Yukito's aparment and I was interested to see which ones are good. He had some I couldn't find in America."   
  
Eriol laughed. "That's fine. Well, I'll be going. Arigato, Reisei!" he said cheerfully and walked away. Reisei picked up the little beast by the neck and stared at him irritably. "Wake up, you nitwit, he's gone. The monster is gone," she said. Kiri opened an eye. "Honto?" he asked. Reisei nodded, then, "Oh NO! He came BACK!" Kiri yelped and pretended to be dead. Reisei dropped him and started laughing.   
  
Kiri flew back up and glared at Reisei. "You little doodlebugger!" he said. "You lied!!" Reisei pointed at him and giggled a little more. "Why the heck are you so afraid of Eriol anyway?" she asked. Kiri flew up to her ear and whispered, "Because he's the reincarnation of Clow. And Clow scared the shit out of me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because he looked so weird and scary and creepy.." Kiri said. Reisei nodded, her mouth a bit open in confusement.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Wow! This is the bookstore Naoko always shops at!" Sakura exclaimed, running in. Yue tilted his head an blinked. He turned and looked at Tomoyo. She nodded. Yue sighed and did a "why me?" with his face and walked inside. Tomoyo and Kero followed.   
  
Yue was looking for Sakura but he couldn't find her in the small quaint shop. "Sakura-sama!" he whispered, turning around a bookshelf. He didn't see anyone. Suddenly he felt the tingling feeling when he felt someone's magic aura nearby. He rounded the corner and came face to face with two purple eyes.  
  
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!" they both screamed, falling backwards.   
  
The two opened their eyes and gasped in bewilderment.   
  
"Yue?!"  
  
"Reisei?!"  
  
Yue blinked and narrowed his eyes. "What in hell are you doing here?!" he demanded. Reisei blinked a bit and answered, "I was just looking for some books... What are you doing here?" Yue flustered pink. "No-Nothing," he stammered. Then he noticed a pointy ear behind Reisei's hair. "Eh..Kiri!" he said aloud.   
  
The ear twitched and Kiri popped out. "Oi, Yue! Long time no see!" he cried out. Yue's mouth twitched like Tai's in the Digimon Episode, "A Very Digi Christmas." Kiri blinked. "Uh..Yue? You there?"  
  
Then Tomoyo came running up with her recorder in hand. "Yue-san, daijoubu desu ka-...Who's this?" she asked, pointing to Kiri. "Hiya!" Kiri greeted. Kero stuck his head out and stared with big eyes. "AHHH!!! IT'S KIRI!" he yelled. Kiri looked at Kero. "HI, KERO!" he greeted cheerfully. Tomoyo looked between the two beasts. "Um, could someone explain..?" she asked. Reisei smiled with a sweatdrop and nodded.   
  
After she was done explaining, Tomoyo nodded in understandment. "Now I see," she said. "So you're the false form of the girl who attacked Sakura-chan before.." Reisei nodded feverishly. "And Kiri is like Kero-chan? He can turn into a big animal?" Again, Reisei nodded. Yue sighed. "What are you two here?" he asked again. Reisei looked at him and said, "I already told you. I came to buy books. And why the hell are you here wearing that?" she asked, eyeing his outfit.  
  
Yue blushed. Tomoyo smiled and said, "I made him take Sakura-chan to the Ice Cream Shop and then to wherever Sakura-chan wanted to go!" She giggled. Reisei stared. "You're saying this is a....DATE??" she asked. Kiri stared. "EH?!?!?!!" Tomoyo nodded. "Hai!" she answered happily. Yue covered his face in his hands.   
  
Reisei looked at Tomoyo. "Err.. Tomoyo, this may sound a little weird...but.." She put her fingers together and said, "Tsumetai was trying to make Yue tell Sakura that he loves her." Yue went bright red and clamped his hand over Reisei's mouth. "Mmmmmfff!!" Yue grinned weakly and said hastily, "She's just joking!"   
  
Tomoyo raised a brow. "I already know, Yue-san. Jeez.. I know that you like Sakura-chan! That's why I'm doing this for you! I'm giving you perfect opportunities to say it! But you never took them!" she said. Reisei looked at Yue and bit his hand. "Itai!" he cried out, soothing his hand instantly. Reisei gagged and said, "That's what you get. Now, why aren't you taking these opportunities??"  
  
"Yea!" chirped Kiri. Yue gave him the death glare and Kiri squeeked and went back to bugging Kero.   
  
Tomoyo looked at Reisei. "You think you could help me?" she asked. Reisei blinked. "Well, Eriol already told me and Kiri to try get Kikai to reveal her feelings toward Syaoran. Well, he thinks she might like him a bit. Otherwise she would've got up and sliced him to pieces," she answered. "But I'm sure I could help..?" Tomoyo clapped her hands together. "Great!" she said. "We'll just have to hide the fact that you're Tsumetai and we have to hide Kiri."  
  
Reisei nodded and stood up. Yue sighed again and stood up. ~Females are too much for me..~   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Syaoran's head clicked up from his book and stared straight out the window leading to the park with the King Penguin and the trees surrounding it. He could feel something..something...just telling him to go. So he put down his book, grabbed his sword and walked out his apartment. He made his way towards the trees and inside the woods.   
  
He walked around for some time, letting the feeling guide him. Soon he could feel the faint aura of Kikai. ~Kikai?! I was drawn here because of her? Sheeze, am I that obsessed?~ He kept walking and felt the aura grow stronger. She must be in the trees. He tilted his head up as he walked. Then he blinked.   
  
In the top of a tree was a doll tiger. He looked further down and saw Kikai, sitting on a branch, sleeping. Syaoran's face smiled a little. ~She looks a lot more peaceful when she's asleep.~ Then the sun hit something and a flash hit Syaoran's eye. He turned around, eyes going back and forth. He heard someone snap their fingers.  
  
Kikai's eyes flashed open from the noise. Then she looked up just in time to see an unnaturally large tiger pounce down on her, making her fall out the tree. Syaoran saw her whip out the key and chant. "Key which conceals the power of darkness, reveal your true self before me. I, Kikai, command this by contract. Release!" The black wand appeared but it was too late to do anything. The tiger pinned Kikai down to the ground with a loud thunk and growled in her face.  
  
Syaoran grabbed his sword and yelled, "Hey, you stupid tiger! Take this! LIGHTNING!" Lightning striked down upon the tiger and it jumped back in anger. Syaoran ran up to Kikai and bent down. "Daijoubu desu ka?" he asked hurridly. Kikai stood up. "What are you doing here," she asked coldly. Syaoran smiled grimly. "I sensed something."  
  
Kikai 'hn'ed and threw a card in the air. Syaoran could guess which one it was. "Dark Sword!" she exclaimed, the wand becoming a shimmering sword. She held it out in front of her in a fighting position. "You're not needed here," Kikai mumbled curtly, eye looking back at Syaoran. "So go home." Syaoran snorted, going into fighting position also. "You don't think I'm going to let you take this thing on by yourself, do you? If you died, Sakura wouldn't get her testing done," he said.  
  
Kikai smirked a little.   
  
The tiger roared at the two swordspeople and ran at them, swiping its paws at them. Kikai jumped to the side and slashed at the ribs. Syaoran did the same and slashed at the stomach. The tiger turned around, looking unharmed. "What?!" Syaoran and Kikai asked in unison. Syaoran pulled his sword up. "Lightning!" he cried out, lightning hitting at the tiger. It stayed unfazed. "What the hell is that thing.." Kikai asked, sword returning to wand.   
  
She grabbed out another card. "Dark Arrow!" A black bow appeared in her hand and she held up the other. A ball of energy formed into an arrow and she took aim at the tiger. Then she loosened her grip on the arrow and let it fly. It muliplied and struck the tiger all at once, making it roar in pain and tackling Kikai. "Agh!" she yelped, the bow knocked out of her hand. The tiger dug its claws into Kikai's shirt and skin and she winced. "You..stupid..beast!" she managed to say, kicking the tiger in the stomach. It had no effect.   
  
"Kikai!" shouted Syaoran, standing in front of the tiger, sword tip at the tiger's face. "Let her GO!" The tiger rolled its gold eye at Syaoran and bared its teeth. "Kikai, are you okay?!" Syaoran asked in worry. Kikai gritted her teeth together and with a great effort, kicked her legs up, grabbed the tigers' wrists and flipped it off.  
  
The tiger landed on its feet. Kikai stumbled up. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her wand. "Damnit," she cursed under her breath, looking back at the tiger. Syaoran turned to her. "You're hurt severely, leave this to me," he said, seeing her blood stained white shirt. Kikai stared at him. Then she glared. "Don't tell me what to do!" she hissed, pushing him back. "I do whatever I want."   
  
"You'll get killed!" Syaoran said helplessly. Kikai ignored him and dashed for her wand, grabbing it in her hand. She brought out another card. "Dark Firey!" she called out, hitting the card with the wand. Unlike the normal Firey, it was leaping with black and grey flames. It surrounded the tiger, flames erupting around it. The tiger roared.   
  
"Dark Freeze!"   
  
All the flames and the tiger were trapped into a block of clear black ice. Syaoran stared. "Now what's she going to do?" he asked quietly. Kikai threw another card, "Dark Thunder!" and a huge black lightning bolt hurled straight down the middle of the ice and the ice shattered like glass. Syaoran used his sword to shield most of the shatters. "What the.."  
  
Kikai stood her ground and let the icicles hit her, slicing open her shirt, shorts, and skin. Syaoran winced everytime something hit her. It pained him to see the person he liked get hurt like that. But her face remained emotionless.   
  
When the icicles stopped flying, Syaoran could see the tiger's frozen body on the ground. It was partly light blue and it didn't move. He narrowed his eyes. Something didn't feel right.  
  
Kikai held up the staff and it was turned into the Dark Sword yet again and she stepped up to the tiger. She raised the sword and prepared to pierce it when the tigers' eye flashed open and tackled her, pushing her down onto the pieces of sharp ice. Kikai tried to muffle the cries of pain escaping her mouth.  
  
Syaoran's eyes widened and he ran over, ramming into the tiger, sending it flying into a tree. He kneeled down and touched Kikai. "Kikai, are you okay?" he whispered. "Kikai!" Kikai opened an eye and managed to say, "The bloody hell are you doing, get away from me." Syaoran frowned. "Look, I'm trying to help, okay?" he said. The tiger came back at them. Syaoran narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Element, Fire!" A rush of fire hit the tiger, sending it back into the tree. He stood up in front of Kikai and held his sword in fighting stance. Kikai blinked slowly. He's trying to help me... Her eyelids became heavy and they closed, head lowered.  
  
Syaoran looked back at her. "Oh no, Kikai!" he said. He glared at the tiger. "You did this to her! I'll make sure you rot in hell, you frickin'.. What the?!" The tiger was fading away. He blinked and it was gone. "What the hell was that thing.."  
  
He turned and bent down. "Kikai.." he whispered painfully. Syaoran wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. He could feel her shallow breathing against his chest. ~I don't know where she lives.. So I'll have to take her home...~  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yue finally found Sakura looking in the fantasy section. "You're interested in that stuff?" he asked. Sakura jumped up and looked at him. "Oh, Hi , Yue-san. I didn't hear you.." she said, smiling sheepishly. "Eh..Who's that girl behind you?" she asked, pointing behind Yue. He turned his head and sighed.   
  
Reisei and Tomoyo stepped from behind Yue and Tomoyo said, "This is Reisei. She's a old friend of, uh, mine. Well, my mom's friends' daughter actually." Sakura blinked. "Hoooee.. Nn! Hajimemashita, Reisei-san!" she greeted, bowing. Reisei bowed as well and said, "A pleasure to meet you also, Sakura."   
  
Yue groaned. "Did you find anything?" he asked Sakura. Sakura nodded and held up a book with a unicorn on it. "Isn't it kawaii?" she asked. Yue sweatdropped and Reisei elbowed him lightly. "Ow!" he whispered. Reisei said softly, "Say yes!" Yue sighed exasperated and nodded. Sakura, totally oblivious, grinned and walked up to the counter.   
  
Tomoyo filmed. "Yue, get over there, you've got the money!" she and Reisei said. Yue followed Sakura, shoulder sagging, and paid for her. The clerk looked at the two and said, "My, what a nice couple here." Sakura and Yue went red.  
  
"Alright!" Tomoyo and Reisei cheered silently, slapping their hands together.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Syaoran walked into the kitchen and took out a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with luke warm water. He took a cloth and went back into the living room. He set it down on the small table next to the couch and walked to his room, sitting down on the bed softly. Kikai's eyes were closed and her breathing was light. Syaoran sighed and stroked her hair. "Kikai.. Wake up, you need to change out of those torn clothes," he whispered a little loudly.   
  
Kikai mumbled and her eyes opened slightly. "Where the.. Syaoran!" she exclaimed, sitting up abruptly, pulling the sheet to cover her ripped shirt. "Where am I?"   
  
Syaoran smiled a bit and answered, "You're at my apartment. I brought you here because I didn't know where you lived." Kikai blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "Well, now that I'm awake I can go home," she said stiffly. Syaoran shook his head. "I can't let you do that," he said. "You're too injured and weak right now."   
  
"I am not!" protested Kikai hotly. "I can take care of myself, I don't need any help from you." Syaoran got up and walked to his drawer and opened it. He pulled out a big plain shirt that was light blue. He tossed it at Kikai and she caught it, looking at him questionably. "Put it on," Syaoran said, walking out the door. "Then come out, you've got wounds that need to be tended to." And he shut the door.   
  
Syaoran went into the bathroom and opened the closet, getting out some bandages. He closed it and sighed, walking back out into the living room. He saw Kikai sitting down on the couch with her hands on her lap. Her head was lowered as if she was thinking of something. Even in something so plain she looked remarkably beautiful to Syaoran.  
  
He walked up to her and put the bandages down on the coffee table. Kikai snapped her head up.   
  
"Hold your arm out," Syaoran said. Kikai held her arm out in front of him, and he began wiping her arm with the cloth, cleaning off the blood. "Why are you doing this?" Kikai asked in a hollow voice. Without looking up, Syaoran answered, "Because I couldn't just leave you there." He didn't expect a reply and he didn't get one.   
  
"Okay, lift the other arm," he said, rinsing the cloth in the water. Kikai put her arm down and lifted the other with no sound. Syaoran wiped that one too and he grabbed the bandages. He started wrapping them around Kikai's wounds until they were all covered. Then he looked up at her. "Is that okay?" he asked. Kikai nodded.   
  
He stood up and looked down at her. "I want you to stay the night," he said suddenly. Kikai's eyes widened. "What?!" Syaoran nodded. "I don't care what you say, that tiger might track you down," he said. Kikai glared at him. "I have my guardians." Syaoran said, "Well, if you couldn't even affect the tiger, how do you expect them to? Aren't you more powerful than them?"   
  
Kikai looked the other way. "Fine," she said shortly. "I'll stay, but it's only because I'm not able to..protect myself very well." Inside, Syaoran sighed a sigh of relief. "Are you hungry?" he asked. Kikai didn't answer. Syaoran smiled a little and walked into the kitchen. He took out two bowls and made Chicken Noodle Soup.   
  
He walked back to the living room and placed the two bowls down. Kikai glanced at it, then stood up. "I'm not hungry," she said curtly and started to move. Syaoran grabbed her wrist. Kikai turned her head and looked at him. "Look, if you don't eat, your recovery will take longer, therefore you'll have to stay here for a longer period of time," the Chinese boy said, smiling with a look of satisfaction on his face.   
  
Kikai's face remained blank, then a look of defeat. ~Damn kid thinks of everything. Why the bloody hell is he so intent on me staying here.. Crazy lunatic.~ She sat back down on the couch next to Syaoran. He placed a bowl on her lap. She just stared at it, and picked up the fork with her hand.   
  
Syaoran put the fork, full of noodles, in his mouth and blinked at Kikai. ~She's so damn stubborn.~  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura dropped her shopping bags near her bed and let herself fall back into her inviting bed. "Man, I'm pooped," she said. "Yue-san took me almost everywhere."   
  
Kero pulled out a mint flavored candy from a little bag in his drawer and asked, "Eh? He did? ..So that's where you were.. So, what'd you two do?"   
  
Sakura flipped herself over and rested her head on her arms. "Well, first Yue-san and I went to Tomoyo-chan's and she made Yue-san wear human normal clothes, then we went to the Ice Cream Shop, Book Store, a Tea Shop, a toy store, then to this Glass Shop. I really loved it there, look what I got," she said, grabbing one of her bags and looking in it. Then she pulled out a number of boxes, all of different sizes, and opened them. Kero flew over. "Ah.."   
  
Sakura picked out one and held it up. It was a Chinese Tea set. "It's for Eriol-kun," Sakura said. "I didn't know what to get him but since he likes tea so much I guess this was good." Kero nodded. "What else did you get?" he asked.  
  
Sakura put the set back in the box and took out two things from two other boxes. They were a big thick book, a detailed colored bracelet, and a huge stuffed bunny. "The book is for Suppi-chan, the bracelet is for Mizuki-san, and the bunny is for Nakuru-chan."   
  
She put those away and opened more. "A book for Naoko-chan, a glass sparrow for Rika-chan, a pendant for Chiharu-chan, a book full of myths for Yamazaki-kun, a book full of cooking recipies for Yukito-san, a book on all the magical spells for Li-kun... Hey!"  
  
Kero snored even louder.   
  
Sakura pouted and yelled, "Don't go to SLEEP!" Kero popped his eyes open. "Ah, boring.." he mumbled, scratching his nose. Sakura glared and said hotly, "Look, go down to the kitchen and open the fridge. I think you won't find THAT boring." Kero raised his head and flew downstairs. A minute later Sakura heard a cry of delight and she ran down to see.  
  
"OH YEA!!!!! ALRIGHT!!! CAKE!!!! HUMONGO!!!! WHOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!!" Kero cried out with happiness as he flew around and around the huge cake now on the table.  
  
Sakura grinned. "Tomoyo-chan said you deserved it, so we both made it for you when you were sleeping."  
  
Kero stared water-eyed at the cake. "You mean it's all for me?" he asked, drooling. Sakura smiled. "Yep." Kero grabbed a fork and started eating it. Sakura sweatdropped. She didn't think it would last by dinner time.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yue sat back in his thoughts as he layed down on the bed Tomoyo said he could sleep in. Hell, she gave him his own room.   
  
"This is where you can stay whenever you want, Yue-san," she had said nicely, showing him the room. "The clothes are in the drawer over there."  
  
So he was now in a casual pants and shirt.   
  
~Sakura..we had a busy day, ne.. I guess it was worth it.. She seemed to enjoy herself a lot..~ He smiled. ~Whatever makes Sakura happy is fine by me.. When Sakura is happy, I'm happy.. I'll do anything to make sure she's never hurt again..~ He frowned. ~I can't believe how she could still love that boy.. I mean..in a friendly way. After what he's done to her, she hasn't shunned him away.. Her heart is so big and kind and loving.. She always tried to make things work.. Ah, Sakura.. I wish you loved back the same way I love you..~   
  
He glanced out the window and out into the dark night sky and the pale moon. ~I'll help you in any way I can..~  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Syaoran couldn't sleep.   
  
No matter how he tried, he just couldn't get himself into La La Land. He tried counting sheep, thinking of something, watching the T.V., listening to music..anything. Nothing worked. It wasn't that he was sleeping on the couch, it was the fact that Kikai was sleeping on his bed, in his room.  
  
He sat up and threw the covers off of him and walked to his room. Opening the door silently, he peered inside.   
  
Kikai was sleeping on his bed, of course. But the sheets were thrown off leaving her pretty much vunerable. She was still wearing the blue shirt Syaoran had given her, but it was the only thing that covered most of her body. Syaoran blushed and stepped inside.  
  
He sat down gently next to the girl and ran his fingers through her hair. It was so silky and smooth it made Syaoran shiver. ~Beautiful..~ He ran his fingers lightly over her face and traced the outline of her face. "Kikai.." he whispered, cupping her face in his hand.   
  
Kikai moved a bit and Syaoran wondered if he was going to get sliced in pieces. But Kikai went back to sleep. Syaoran sighed in relief and said softly, "Ah, Kikai.. Ai shiteru.."  
  
  
OMG! I ACTUALLY FINISHED!!! @_@ I had writer's block for what seemed like forever that I started TWO new series..O.o.. Anywhoo.. WAS THAT ENOUGH ROMANCE?? Nah..Probably not.. But I assure you, it gets sappy in the end..ha..ha.. Yep.. `Cause I started writing the battle part..O.O;; Weird, ain't I? Now I'm stuck on that.. Hehehehe..Abadom on fic and start on the other.   
  
Well.. Please, if you want to, please go read my other CCS fic "Why Must You Do This To Me?" It's S&S and romance/angst..I don't think it's real angsty though..T.T I can't write angst...;;!!!  
  
R&R Please!!!   



	7. Morning

Testing The Sakura Card Mistress  
Seven-Morning  
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
A bird chirped from his window sill.   
  
Chirp!  
  
Chirp chirp!   
  
Chirp chirp chirp!  
  
Yue fluttered his eyes open, waking up slowly, and pushed his body into an upright position. "Mm.." he mumbled, brushing some loose strand of hair from his eyes. They promptly fell back. He blinked slowly, then threw the covers off of his body. Jumping out of bed, he moved to the door and swung it open, then shut it with a slam.   
  
"Tired.." he murmured, still half asleep. "Tiiired.. Sleep.." He stumbled down the stairs and flopped down onto the big soft couch. He sighed in content, eyes already closed.   
  
"Ne.. Yue-san?"  
  
"......."  
  
"Yue-san..?"  
  
"......"  
  
"..Yue..?"  
  
Yue cracked an eye open. "Go awa--Sakura-sama?" he asked, both eyes flaring wide open. Sakura stood up straight and smiled. "Hai! You sure are sleepy, Yue-san!" she exclaimed. Yue blushed very slightly. "It's my favorite thing to do," he said dryly. "Why are you here? Please.. Please don't tell me Tomoyo has something else planned. Pleeeeeaaaaaaseeeee..."  
  
Sakura laughed. "No, no," she answered, grinning. "I just came here to see how you were. And to say thank you." Yue blinked. "What for?" he asked, confused. Sakura sat on the edge of the couch where there was room. "Well, you actually took me to those places.. I really appriciate it. And you put up with Tomoyo while she was dressing you.." Sakura turned to look at Yue. "It was really kind of you to do something like that for me, Yue-san.." she said softly.  
  
Yue smiled a bit. "It's okay. I guess I had fun too. Seeing what you humans really do. It's quite dull.."  
  
"Dull?!" Sakura asked, staring at him. Yue nodded, yawning. "Dull to me, that is..ITAAAIII!!" Sakura threw another cushion on the silver haired guardian's head. "We are not dull!" she protested hotly, but laughing. "Don't make me hurt you, Yue-san!" Yue grinned and grabbed Sakura's wrist. She yelped out in surprise as he flipped both of them, so that Yue was pinning Sakura to the couch by her wrists.  
  
"I win," Yue said, still grinning ever so slightly. Sakura grinned also. "Cheater," she said playfully. "If you weren't still sleepy, I'd get my staff and bash you on the head with it!" Yue gaped at her in fake surprise. "My, MY! Sakura-sama! What a mind! How brutal!" he exclaimed. Sakura started having a fit of giggles.   
  
Yue smiled warmly. Ah.. So fragile.. Wha..? Sakura had stopped laughing and was now staring into his eyes. Yue blinked, not understanding. What.. The two gazed at each other with both soft and confused eyes as Yue's long silvery hair fell around both of them. The temptation to just kiss his mistress was stronger than ever for Yue. He found himself leaning closer little by little.  
  
Sakura blinked slowly. "Yue.." she whispered, barely audible. Yue's face was leaning closer and Sakura's eyelids started closing. This was what she wanted..  
  
"Sakura-chan? The guards said you were in here somewhere and I--"   
  
Tomoyo stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the two on the couch. "Oh my.."  
  
Yue and Sakura both snapped their eyes open immediately when they heard Tomoyo's voice and turned their heads to look at her. "Tomoyo!" they exclaimed in unison.   
  
Tomoyo waved weakly at them, smiling weakly also. "Um.. I didn't interrupt anything important.. Did I..?" she asked shyly. Sakura and Yue blinked, then turned very red. "No!" answered Sakura hastily. "We weren't doing anything! We just had a pillow fight!" Yue nodded frantically, removing his grip on Sakura's wrists and standing up. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you in anyway," he said, speaking very fast.  
  
Tomoyo smiled. "Oh no, you didn't, Yue-san. I just woke up and one of the guards told me that Sakura-chan was here," she responded cheerfully. "I guess Sakura found you first.." Sakura went brighter red. "Ah, sorry, Tomoyo-chan!" she said, smiling sheepishly. "I was just here to thank Yue-san for a wonderful day I had yesterday. That's all. Sorry if I caused any inconvience."  
  
Tomoyo brushed it away. "Well, since you're here, how about we have some breakfast?" she suggested. Sakura's face lightened. "Oh sure! I didn't eat this morning because I was in a rush to get here before you woke up. If I came later I was worried you might be putting all sorts of outfits on Yue-san and make him grouchy and I didn't want to thank him when he's grumpy," she said, smiling.  
  
Yue raised a brow. "Grumpy..?"   
  
Tomoyo laughed and started walking into the kitchen. "Okay, I'll make some breakfast." Sakura raised her hand up and waved at Tomoyo. "Can I help?" she asked happily. Tomoyo nodded. "Of course!" She turned to Yue. "Yue-san, do you want to watch so you can learn how to make breakfast for Sakura-chan when you two get married?" she asked sweetly.  
  
Yue's eyes popped wide open and Sakura fell down.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kikai woke to the smell of fresh pancakes. She sat up and blinked. Oi.. Where the hell am I..? She looked at herself, then her eyes got wide. "What the hell?!" she said angrily. And finally, everything that happened came back to her. She blinked, then pushed the sheets off her and stood up, stretching.   
  
"So the idiot decided to let me stay. Hm well..I didn't have much of a choice.. Kisama.." she said to herself, walking towards the kitchen. She stopped by the doorway and peeked inside.   
  
The Chinese boy was over by the stove and he was the one cooking the pancakes. He was also humming softly.   
  
Kikai raised a brow. I can attack right now.. He won't notice a thing.. Since he's too preoccupied with cooking pancakes.. What a fool.. She reached inside her shirt and pulled out the key slowly. "Release," she whispered, key changing into staff. "Dark Time..!" Everything went dull grey as all the things around the cardcaptor stilled and became motionless. She looked around, then walked into the kitchen.  
  
She could see Syaoran's face slightly alarmed. She smirked. "Must have felt the magic coming. Too bad you weren't fast enough, Chinese boy.." Kikai called upon Dark Sword and stood next to Syaoran.   
  
"You better hope you've had a good time living, because your life ends right now," she said silently, bringing the side of the blade to Syaoran's stomach. Narrowing her eyes, she pressured the blade in front of his stomach. "Alright. Dark Time, return. Your job is over." The dull grey disappeared and everything went in motion again. Syaoran had a split second to look down at Kikai. "Nani--?! Ugh!"  
  
Blood spurted into the air.  
  
  
Aaaaaiieeeeeee! So SHORT!!! XP! Gomen, gomen, gomen, minna-san!! It's been like a month or more and this is all that I post up!! Gomen nasai!! I just can't think of anything right now. I'm actually thinking of abandoning all of my fics/stories.. Don't feel like writing anymore. Yare yare! Ayame told me not to, so I won't. Not yet! And I am on drawing mode, so I don't expect the next chapter to come out anytime soon. 


	8. Reading

Testing the Sakura Card Mistress  
Eight-Reading  
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
Note-The part when Sakura, Tomoyo, Eriol, & Syaoran are talking at Tomoyo's.. Uh, they're sitting where Tomoyo, Sakura, & Sonomi sat in the episode where Sakura captured The Lock Card. Okay? I can't describe it very well.. cuz I kinda forgot..^ ^;;;;;...!  
  
--  
  
"Dark Time..!"  
  
Everything went dull grey.  
  
"Dark Sword."  
  
The silver blade was placed by his stomach.  
  
"Nani--Ugh!"  
  
Blood spurted in the air.  
  
Kikai's eyes widened. "Impossible," she mumbled, crimson sliding down the blade.   
  
Syaoran opened an eye slowly and forced a pained smile. "I-I'll admit..that's a sh..sharp blade.." he managed to say, gripping the sword blade harder, causing his palm to bleed even more. "I'm surprised it didn't cut my hand all the way." He pulled the sword away from Kikai and stumbled back. The sword disappeared.  
  
Kikai was still standing in the same position. "How.." she whispered, "how did he catch it..?!" Syaoran glanced at her, hand at his side motionless as the blood dripped onto the tile floor. "That wasn't very nice of you, Kikai," he said dryly. At the sound of her name being said, Kikai snapped out of her trance and looked at Syaoran's grim face.  
  
She stared at him with glaring eyes. "...." Syaoran grinned wryly and said, "What? Not going to compliment me on catching your sword?" Kikai's eyes narrowed even more. "..You.." she began, then her eyes closed and she fell.   
  
"Eh?" Syaoran caught Kikai's unconscious body in his arms. "What the.." He blinked. "Oh.. Right, she used Time.." he said, picking her up and put her on his shoulder. He walked into the living room and set her down on the couch. "She's never going to forgive me for carrying her," he muttered cheerfully. Then he looked at his bloody hand and winced. "Itai.. I better bandage this up."  
  
After he was done, he went into his room and picked up his cordless phone. Dailing Sakura's number, he waited for her to answer. Instead, he got the "Devil".  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Syaoran's mouth twitched. "To-Touya?!"   
  
"BRAT!"  
  
Syaoran gripped the phone with his good hand and muttered curses. "I'd like to talk to Sakura," he managed to say politely as possible.  
  
"No--Sakura? She isn't here--"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Click  
  
Syaoran looked at his phone. "So where is she anyway." He dailed Sakura's cell number and waited.  
  
"Li-kun?" Sakura's voice.  
  
"Finally," Syaoran sighed. "I was wondering if we could go to Tomoyo's house to discuss the Dark Clow Cards."  
  
"I thought we already did."  
  
"I want you to do a reading."  
  
"For the Cards?"   
  
Syaoran nodded. "Yea. And I think it would be wise if you asked Eriol if he can tell you any possible ways of defeating Kikai."  
  
"Okay.. I'm at Tomoyo-chan's already, so you just come here as soon as possible?"  
  
"`Kay, ja ne," he said, putting the phone down. He sighed in relief. "Alright, I need to change and--AIIIEEE! I forgot about Kikai! Ack.." Syaoran shook his head. "I'll just leave her here. I'm sure she'll wake up before I get back and leave before I get back so everything's okay then. Okay, if she doesn't decide to destroy my apartment."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"A reading?"  
  
Eriol's brows shot up and he looked at Syaoran. "What for?" he asked curiously. "So we can know what to expect, maybe," Syaoran answered, leaning back against the chair. "I mean, it's better to try than not to."  
  
"I guess you're right," Eriol replied, then looked across the white table at Sakura and Tomoyo. "Well, Sakura-san, are you going to read the Cards? You have them with you, right?" Sakura nodded. "Alright."  
  
Everyone watched as Sakura layed out the Cards, trying to get rid of everything in her mind. She sighed and gathered the cards and cut the deck into three groups, and then back into a whole deck. She then laid nine cards, picked randomly, on her desk in a large diamond at the center, along with the rest of the deck to the right. Then she began her incantation.   
  
"Cards shaped by me, answer my question. Show me the truth behind my situation." A rush of warmth burst from the cards and surrounded her, making her hair whirl around.  
  
When it died down, placed her hand over the first card at the top of diamond and flipped it over. "It's.. It's The Windy," she read aloud. She frowned a little. ~Is this just like the one I did with Kero-chan..?~  
  
"You know the meaning of The Windy, right, Sakura-san?" Eriol asked. Sakura nodded slowly and flipped the next Card. Her eyes widened slightly. "Wa..Watery.." Next Card..  
  
"...Sweet.." She flipped the other Card.  
  
"..Dark..?"   
  
Syaoran and Eriol glanced at each other. Both of them could read each other's faces. ~The Dark..?~ they both thought. Sakura stared at The Dark Card. ~This reading is different.. But why would The Dark Card be in this reading? What does it mean?~ She flipped the Card which meant what her enemy was after to find it different.  
  
"Light?" everyone asked. Sakura held The Light Card. "Light..? Why Light..? What is Light..?" She turned to Eriol and Syaoran. "Do you know what it means..?" she asked, confused. Syaoran shook his head. "Sorry, I'm confused too," he said. Eriol shrugged. "Do you know of anyone that has to do with The Light Card, Sakura-san?"  
  
"Cerberus?"  
  
Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Eriol sweatdropped. "Well, um, besides him.." Eriol said weakly. Sakura blinked, and shook her head. "Iie, wakarimasen.." Sakura looked down sadly. Eriol smiled and said kindly, "Do not worry, Sakura-san. You'll figure it out. You just need some time. That's all.." Syaoran and Tomoyo nodded.  
  
"Sakura-chan, don't rush yourself!" Tomoyo said happily, putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "You're very smart! You can figure this out. Besides, let's just forget about the reading for now and have some fun." Syaoran shook his head. "Not yet, Tomoyo," he said. "Doshite?" Tomoyo asked, confused.   
  
Sakura raised her head and looked at Syaoran. "Oh.." she said, remembering, "Li-kun told me to ask Eriol-kun if he could tell me any ways of defeating Kikai.." Eriol glanced at Syaoran, who looked away. Eriol raised a brow. "Well..There is one more thing you need to know, Sakura-san," Eriol said sternly. Sakura blinked. "What?" she asked. Eriol folded his hands together and said, "You will never be able to beat Kikai if you don't beat her at her best ability."   
  
Everyone blinked.   
  
"Best ability?" Syaoran asked. Eriol nodded. "Best ability," he repeated.   
  
Sakura blinked again. "Her best ability.. Her--"  
  
"Her strong point.." Syaoran mumbled. He knew what it was. ~It's got to be her sword skill..~ he thought. ~It's what she always uses.. And I know from experience how talented she is with a sword. Her body was built for swordmanship. Of course that would be her best ability, her strong point. But I wonder.. Sakura,~ he looked at her, ~will you be able to recognize it? Recognize her ability with swords? You've never been in a one-on-one sword fight with her so you wouldn't know, would you?~  
  
Eriol glanced at Syaoran's thoughtfull face and smiled softly. ~He knows what her best ability is.. He should. It must be hard for him,~ he thought, frowning sadly, ~that he's torn between loving Kikai and helping Sakura-san.. But it can't be helped, I suppose.. I hope Syaoran can cope with all of this..~  
  
Syaoran stood up. "I'm going to go now," he said abruptly, and turned around. Sakura looked at him, and then looked at his hand. Her eyes widened. "Li--Li-kun! What happened to your hand?!" she exclaimed. Syaoran looked at his wounded hand. ~Ah, shit!~ The bandage was stained red. Obviously, the bleeding didn't stop as fast as he thought it would.   
  
"It's--It's nothing," Syaoran said hastily, holding his bandaged hand up to his chest. A big sweatdrop appered as Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and raised a brow. "I don't believe you for a second," she said, standing up. "What happened to it?" Syaoran glanced back and saw Sakura moving towards him and stiffened. "Shit.." he whispered. He turned around super fast and said, "Uh, well, I have things to do at home, so, ano, JA NEEEEEE!!" and he sped away.  
  
Sakura stood there in SD form.  
  
Tomoyo and Eriol sweatdropped.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Syaoran closed his apartment door and hung his head. He sighed in relief. "Thank God Sakura didn't follow me," he muttered. He walked into the living room and literally screamed.  
  
"KIKAI?!?!?!"  
  
Kikai was sitting on the couch in her white shirt and shorts. She was looking down ad her face was thoughtfull. At the sound of her name being said, she looked at Syaoran's gaping face and an expression between a smile and a smirk crossed over her face. "You went to that girl's, Tomoyo, house to discuss about me with Eriol and Sakura, didn't you?" she asked calmly.   
  
Syaoran shook his head, gaining control of reality again. "Nani?" he asked. "How did you know?!" Kikai stood up and answered, "I had a feeling..." She faced him and Syaoran stepped back. ~Damn, her face looks like Eriol's expression a long time ago!~ Her expression was an amused, dangerous smile. "You know what my best ability is, don't you?" Syaoran nodded slowly. "Well, now, since I have regained strength, and failed to get rid of you, I shall be going now."  
  
She closed her eyes and walked towards the door. Syaoran moved out of her way as she opened it. He blinked, then grabbed her arm with his normal hand. "Kikai, wait," he said sternly.   
  
Kikai stopped.   
  
"Do you really hate me this much?" Syaoran asked, his voice a bit desperate. "Tell me, what did I do to make you hate me so much?"   
  
Kikai's eyes opened slightly. ~Hate..? ...~ She turned to look at him. His amber eyes held pain in them. Her lips turned upward slightly into a sad smile. Syaoran blinked.   
  
In a milli second, the tip of a blade was at his throat.   
  
Syaoran looked down at the sword. "You're fast at this Dark Sword thing.." he mumbled softly. Kikai forced a smile. "I have to be," she managed to say. Syaoran looked at her. ~Why is she acting so sentimental all of a sudden..? Maybe the Dark Time Card did more than drain her energy. Maybe it drained her personality too.~   
  
"You didn't answer my question, Kikai," Syaoran said. "What did I do to make you hate me so much?" Kikai stepped back, pulling the sword away from Syaoran's throat. Syaoran rubbed his throat, then looked at Kikai again. "Kikai..?"   
  
Kikai's head was lowered and shadows covered her face. "Kikai.." Syaoran whispered, moving towards her. "Daijoubu--"   
  
"I.."  
  
Syaoran stopped. "Kikai."  
  
Kikai gripped the hilt of the sword harder. "..I..hate you..because..because.." The sword disappeared. Syaoran blinked. Kikai turned around and ran. "Kikai, wait!" Syaoran shouted, but she was already gone.   
  
Syaoran's hand fell to his side as he stared where Kikai had disappeared.   
  
"Kikai.."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Reisei closed the door and walked inside of the house she, Kiri, and Kikai lived in. She set down her bag of books and blinked. She could hear the snores of Kiri from the window sill. She put her fingers on her temples and smiled exasperatedly. "Kiri and Kero are alike so much it's plain scary," she said to herself. She put her hand down. "So where's Mistress..?"   
  
She walked down the hallway and knocked on Kikai's door. "Mistress..?" she said softly, "are you in there?" No one answered. She frowned and pushed the door open slightly. "Mistress..?" She could see Kikai's back and quickly shut the door. "At leats I know she's here," Reisei told herself and walked back into the living room, happy and ready to enjoy one of her newly bought books.  
  
Inside of her dark room, Kikai was leaning against the window sill with her arms folded to support her. She looked out of the window with a nonchantly expression.   
  
"I hate you..because.. Because..."   
  
A tear slid down her cheek.  
  
"..Because you made me love you."  
  
  
  
Well, was that S&S or what?! And when I say S&S, I don't mean Syaoran&Sakura, I mean, Short&Sucky! And Stupid&Sappy!! Yep! Oh well!! People kept telling me to write, so here is the end result! This writing that equals to toilet paper! Well, I hurried with it, sorry. Jeez. I can't seem to write Y&S right now, but I promise, there IS going to be Y&S in the next chapter!! Promise!!  
  
R&R please!! Thanks! 


	9. Mystery

Testing The Sakura Card Mistress  
Nine- Mystery  
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
  
  
"Dare.."  
  
There was a boy. A boy covered in shadows. She could only make out his eyes. Two light red eyes. They stared at her with a hint of mockery.   
  
"..Anata wa..dare..?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura groggily sat up, eyes barely open. She glanced at the clock, which told her that it was only 5:15 am. She blinked. ~Why did I get up so early?~ she wondered. She got out of bed and opened her door, walked out, and closed it softly. She crept down the stairs and into the living room.  
  
A big dark object was in the corner of the living room. She smiled at it, and went over. She bent down, flicked something on, and stepped back, gazing at the different colored lights that decorated the christmas tree.   
  
~Already December.. I love Christmas.. Everything is so beautiful..~ she thought, warmness spreading all around her. She looked out the window, and saw little snow falling. ~I love snow, too.~ She walked into the kitchen and started to boil some water. She got out a package of hot chocolate and put the contents into a medium sized mug. She waited for the water to finish, then poured some into her mug. She got out a spoon and mixed the chocolate with the water. "I love chocolate milk, also.." she said to herself quietly and smiled. She looked for some marshmallows, and dumped a few in her mug.   
  
She stirred the marshmallows as she walked back into the living room. She sat down on the couch and gazed at the christmas tree.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Sakura, oi, Sakura, wake up!"  
  
Sakura cracked her eyes open and mumbled, "Ugh, what.." She lifted her head and looked up. Then her eyes snapped wide open. "AAAHHH!!! ONIISAN?!"   
  
Touya looked at her. "How come you were here?" he asked. "When I woke up at 6:30, I found you sleeping on the couch and the lights were on. You came out here earlier this morning to watch the tree, didn't you?" Sakura nodded meekly. Touya smiled. "That's okay. But!" he said, holding up Sakura's mug, his smile turning into a full on moronic grin, "you left this out on the table, and you didn't clean it! This means you have to wash the dishes for a today and tomorrow!"  
  
Sakura stared, then glared at her older brother with puffed cheeks. "WHAT?! That's unfair!!!" she exclaimed. "It was like, 5:00 in the morning! Of course I'm going to fall asleep!!"  
  
Touya grinned even more. "Too bad, kaijuu!" he said. Sakura shouted, "SHUT UP!!"  
  
"You both better shut up," Kero said, floating inbetween them. "I woke up because of you guys shoutin'."  
  
Sakura and Touya stared at him. "Stay out of this!" they yelled in unison. Kero tumbled back from the great force of their voices and slammed into the christmas tree. "Aaaahhhhhh... Ugh.."   
  
Touya went into the kitchen. "Aw, I was just kidding. Nevermind, Sakura."  
  
Sakura stared. ~How weird..~ She got off of the couch and walked back upstairs and into her room. She went over to her desk and sat down. She got a piece of paper and a pen and started writing.  
  
Christmas Presents  
  
1. Oniisan  
2. Otousan  
3. Tomoyo-chan  
4. Kero-chan  
5. Li-kun  
6. Rika-chan  
7. Naoko-chan  
8. Chiharu-chan  
9. Yamazaki-kun  
10. Eriol-kun  
11. Akizuki-san  
12. Suppi-chan  
13. Mizuki-san  
14. Meiling-chan  
15. Yukito-san  
16. Yue-san  
  
She stopped writing. ~What am I going to get for Yue-san? I don't know what kind of things he likes..~ She frowned, then shrugged. ~I'll be able to find something.. I hope..~ She put the pen down and grabbed her phone, dailed some numbers, and waited.  
  
"Hello? Daidouji residence."  
  
"Hey, it's Kinomoto Sakura. May I speak to Tomoyo?"  
  
"One moment please."  
  
Sakura waited, then heard another person pick up the phone.   
  
"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo's voice asked from the other end.  
  
Sakura smiled. "Yea," she answered. "I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping with me? I have all the people I want to buy gifts for listed down."  
  
"Hai! I have all the people too. I'll come over, okay?"  
  
"Okay!" Sakura nodded happily and hung up. She went over to her closet and pulled out a long sleeved turtleneck and long demin jeans. She changed into them and grabbed her gloves and coat. She quickly ran the brush her hair and ran downstairs.   
  
"Where are you going?" Fujitaka asked curiously as Sakura placed her coats and gloves by the door and came into the kitchen, noticing her outfit. "I'm going with Tomoyo-chan to go Christmas shopping," she answered. "Then maybe you can have some breakfast. I just finished making pancakes," he said, bringing out two plates with hot pancakes covered with thick maple syrup on them. Sakura obeyed and said, "Arigato, Otousan." Fujitaka sat down across from her. "Dou itashimashite," he replied.  
  
"Itadakimasu!" they said happily, and started eating.  
  
"Have you made a list of all the people you want to get gifts?" her father asked. Sakura nodded. "Yea, I think I'm going to go broke with all the people I have to get things for," she said, biting into a piece. Fujitaka smiled. "You could always make the gifts," he suggested. Sakura looked up. "I guess you're right," she said, drinking some juice. Then the doorbell rang. "Oh, Kero-chan can have the rest of mine," she said, standing up. "I got to go now, see you later, Otousan!" She grabbed her coat and gloves and quickly went to open the door.   
  
Tomoyo was there, smiling. "Ohayo, Sakura-chan," she greeted. Sakura smiled back. "Ohayo!" She put on her coat and gloves and closed the door. They started walking along the snow covered sidewalks. "The snow is beautiful, ne, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo commented. Sakura nodded in agreement. "It sure is," she said. "The snow reminds me..of Yukito-san."  
  
"Well, his name does mean snow rabbit," Tomoyo reminded her. Sakura nodded. "It reminds me of Yue, also.." she said softly. Tomoyo glanced at her, smiling. "Why's that?" she asked. "Yue means moon, not snow." Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. It seems like the snow is Yue. Snow is white, like Yue, and snow is wonderful, just like Yue.."  
  
"Ohohohohohoho! '..and snow is wonderful, just like Yue'?" Tomoyo asked. Sakura looked at her. "Yea.. Why? ...AAAHHH!!" She covered her mouth and burned with embarrassment. "Aw, you know you like him, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said gleefully. "You two are so cute together, so perfect!!" Sakura looked to the snow covered ground, face red. "Yes, but.. He doesn't like me. How can he like me? I'm just a child in his eyes."  
  
Tomoyo looked at her friend sadly. "But he always wishes to protect you!" she insisted. "And he cares for you so much!"  
  
"That's because I'm his 'mistress'. He's supposed to try protect me.."  
  
"But Sakura-chan, what about when you two went to the ice cream shop? Didn't you two enjoy yourselves? Did Yue actually try to eat something?" She knew the answer already, but she wanted to prove that Yue DID love Sakura.  
  
Sakura shrugged. "That's because I insisted that he try something.. He looks so.. So lonely, so cold, so distant. Like he's in another world, and unable to be reached," she mumbled. "That's not true!!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "You have reached him! He is your deep friend! Haven't you shared some secrets with him? Or trusted him with something you haven't told anyone else yet?" Sakura blinked. ~Trusted him..with something I haven't told to anyone else..?~  
  
~"Sakura-sama," Yue whispered to her softly, "It is late, and I should be going now. I don't want to worry your brother or your father by standing out here like this with you." Sakura smiled a bit, then said, "Okay, Yue-san. And please don't tell anyone about my dream... Okay? It would worry Touya and he doesn't need to have anymore problems on his mind than he already has. Onegai?"~  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. ~I have.. At the beginning of all of this.. My dreams..~ she realized. Tomoyo could read Sakura's face very well, and knew she had thought of a time where Sakura did the exact thing she asked. She giggled lightly. "I see you've thought of a time," she said. Sakura nodded sheepishly. "I..guess.. Wha?" She blinked as little pieces of snow started fall down around them. "Kirei.." both girls mumbled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Souda ne.." Sakura said, putting the mug down. "Well.. How about..er.." Tomoyo smiled. "Are you having trouble thinking of gifts for everyone, Sakura-chan?" she asled. Sakuta nodded helplessly. "Yea, I am. Argh.. What do I get Meiling? She's in Hong Kong, and her tastes might have changed! I don't know what she likes!" Sakura pulled out her list of people. "I didn't even get one prese.." Her sentence trailed off as she sensed a familiar aura. "Kikai.. She's here. But why?" she asked aloud.  
  
Tomoyo glanced at her. "Kikai goes Christmas shopping? Now that's something you definitely don't see everyday." Sakura shrugged. "I don't know why she is here, but I want to find her," she said and started using her magic to pinpoint Kikai's location. She soon found the blue-eyed girl at the sweets section, along with someone else Sakura knew.  
  
"Mistress, look! Why don't you get these for Syaoran?" Reisei asked, motioning her hands towards some chocolates like a salesman. Kikai stared at her with an exasperated expression. "I don't have a clue as to *why* I let you drag me to this hell hole, but this is *ridiuculous*--" She stopped as she noticed Sakura and Tomoyo watching them.  
  
Sakura sweatdropped, and smiled weakly, waving at her. "Uh.. Ko-Konnichi wa, Kikai.." she greeted hesitantly. Kikai looked at her with almost glaring eyes, and asked, "So you're not with him, even though he's here. I thought you would've been.."  
  
Sakura blinked. "Huh? What do you mean--"  
  
"Sakura-san!" exclaimed Reisei, running over. "Konnichi wa!"  
  
Sakura grinned. "Konnichi wa, Reisei-san!" she said. "Ah..um.. You and Kikai..err...know each other?" Tomoto and Reisei exchanged glances, nodded, and looked back at Sakura, who was looking at them with a confused expression. "Ano.." Reisei coughed. "Kikai.. She's..um., my mistress.."  
  
Sakura blinked. Then it dawned on her. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!?!?!?!" she cried out in disbelief, staring at the two, and earning stares from everyone around them.  
  
Kikai rose a brow. "You met her with your false form without informing me?" she asked. Reisei grinned weakly, swetadropped, then bowed slightly. "Sumimasen, Mistress," she apologized. Sakura and Tomoyo stared. Kikai waved her hand dismissably. "Nevermind." She turned to Tomoyo. "And you knew?"  
  
Tomoyo nodded. Sakura turned her head to look at her best friend, staring. "EEEEEEEEHHHHHH?!!?"  
  
Kikai sighed and put her fingers to her temples. "Please, keep it down," she said. "You're earning stares from every direction." Sakura blinked, then turned bright pink. Tomoyo giggled. "It is funny how we met each other here, though!" she commented. "Such coinsidences are amazing!"  
  
"There is no coinsidence in this world," mumbled Kikai, glancing away. "Only the inevitable."  
  
Sakura looked at Kikai, who was now looking at her. ~Eto.. That's exactly what Mizuki-san said to me before I met Yue.. What does it mean?~  
  
Kikai started walking in the direction of where she was looking before looking at Sakura. "Anou.. Mistress, where are you going?" Reisei asked, following. Sakura and Tomoyo followed also.  
  
"To think that you can't even *sense* him when he's so *close* is not good," Kiakia muttered. Sakura faltered a bit, instantly knowing Kikai was talking to her. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Sense who?"  
  
"Yue.." she whispered, almost disdainfully. Sakura blinked. "..Yue..?" she echoed, stopping. "..Yue...?"  
  
"Close, but right now I'm just Yukito," said a voice nearby. Sakura spun around in the direction of the voice and exclaimed, "Yukito-san!"  
  
Yukito walked over. "Konnichi wa, Sakura-chan," he greeted cheerfully. "Did you want to see Yue?" Sakura shook her head violently, and heard a cough from behind. She turned around and saw Touya standing by the others. Kikai looked at her, eyes smiling dangerously. Sakura blinked. "Ko-Konnichi wa, Oniisan.." she said. Touya raised a brow. "What?"  
  
"He doesn't know his sisters' enemy is standing right next to him," Kikai said flatly. Sakura fell down.  
  
"EH?!" Touya turned to look at Kikai, who glanced at him, then turned her gaze back to Yukito. "Yue," she said," why are you trying to hide your aura? Are you trying to hide it from Sakura? Or from me?"  
  
Sakura got up and blinked. "Yue? I didn't even sense him!" she said. "Of course," Kikai replied, "he was shielding it from anyone detecting it. Or, at least, he was trying to."  
  
"Be quiet," Yukito said in a low growl, which caught everyone but Kikai by surprise.  
  
"Yukito-san?" Sakura asked. "Daijoubu desu ka?" Yukito looked dazed, then nodded. "Ah.. Gomen ne.. I think Yue..said that."  
  
Kikai smirked a little. "Yue, control your temper. Wouldn't want you to reveal your true form in public just to strangle me."  
  
Inside, Yue was fuming. ~Who the hell does she think she is?~  
  
Reisei could feel the anger flowing from Yue, and she tapped Kikai on the shoulder softly. "I think you should stop, Yue is ready to burst and kill you," she whispered into her mistress' ear. Kikai glanced at her and shrugged. "Whatever, then we can leave this place," she said, and started to walk away. Reisei shook her head frantically. "No wait!!! You still have to find a gift for Syaoran!!" she yelled, running after Kikai. She grabbed Kikai's arm and started dragging her towards the candies department again.  
  
Everyone sweatdropped.  
  
"Did she say 'Syaoran'?" Touya asked, pointing at the two. Tomoyo nodded, grinning. "Yep! She said Syaoran! Ohohohohohohoo..." she laughed. "They are so cute together!! They're so alike!!" Everyone stared at her with big eyes and fell down.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura fell down onto her bed after nearly squashing Kero with all the bags full of gifts. "Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh...!! I'm never going Christmas shopping ever again!!" she complained, her voice muffled by the bed. She turned over on her back. "Too many people!!" (and readers, there is sooooo many ppl in japan, so think!! A LOT OF PPL!! esp. at x-mas... O.O''..)  
  
Kero flew around the bags, staring at them. "You always say that," he said. "Man, so much! How much did it all cost??" Sakura opened her eyes and kneeled next to the bags and rummaged for the receipt. She pulled it out and showed Kero. His jaw dropped to the ground.  
  
"$500?!!??!?!" he practically screamed.  
  
"Kero-chan!!" Sakura exclaimed, covering his mouth with her hand. "Be quiet!!" She removed her hand from from his mouth. "Sssshhhh!!" Kero looked at her, then said, "Jeez!! Where'd you get all the money??" Sakura blushed, answering, "I borrowed some from Tomoyo! But I plan to pay her back even though she said I don't have to!!" Kero sighed, exasperated. "Can't even pay for your own things--AAACKKK!!"   
  
Sakura strangled the little beast. "DON'T SAY ANOTHER WORD OR NO DESSERTS FOR A WHOLE WEEK, BUDDY!!"   
  
"AAAAHHHHH!! AAAAAAHHHHHH, LEMME GO!!!" Kero yelled. Sakura dropped him. He fell, swirly eyes taking over, passing out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You're inviting everyone too?"   
  
Sakura nodded in answer to Tomoyo's question, which didn't do much good since she was talking to her over the phone. "Hai!"  
  
"Even Kikai?"   
  
Sakura smiled. "Yep. I figure I try be friends with her. She's not that bad, really. She's just doing her job to see if I'm worthy of the Sakura Cards." Tomoyo replied, "I guess you're right. Okay, I'll come over as soon as possible! Ja ne!"   
  
"Ja ne!" Sakura said, and hung the phone up. She turned to Kero, who was still passed out. She grinned. "Kero-chan will miss out on the sweets. I'll wake him up." She poked the sleeping beast gently. "Oi, Kero-chan, wake up! You're going to miss out on cake and tea!" Kero groggily opened his little eyes. "Eh..? Cake..?" Sakura nodded. "Yes, everyone is coming over. So come down and help me make tea, and you can eat all the cake you want..as long as there's enough for everyone else.." Kero eyes snapped wide open. "OKAY!" he practically shouted, flying downstairs. "Cake! Cake! You're mine! WAAAAAAIIIIIIII~!"  
  
Sakura giggled and went downstairs.  
  
As she was setting the tea down on the table in the living room, she heard to doorbell ring. "I'm coming!" she exclaimed, running and opening the door. Tomoyo, Eriol, Syaoran, Touya, and Yukito were standing there. She blinked. "Whoa.. Um, come in!" she said, making way for them. "Arigatou, kaijuu," Touya said, walking in, ruffling her hair playfully. Sakura groaned and held back the urge to kick him in the shin. Yukito smiled at her. "Arigatou, Sakura-chan," he said nicely. Sakura smiled back at him.  
  
Inside, Yue didn't feel comfortable. ~I can feel something bad is about to happen.. But what?~   
  
"Sakura-sama, be careful," he said through Yukito. Startled, Sakura blinked. "Wha..? Oh.. Yue?" she asked. Yukito nodded sheepishly. "Yue feels uncomfortable right now," he explained. "He just doesn't want anything bad to happen to you." Sakura blinked again, then smiled. "Okay, I will, Yue-san," she said. Yue took a final glance at her, then let Yukito walk in.   
  
"I wonder what Yue-san is worried about.." Tomoyo said softly. Syaoran answered, "Maybe..Kikai is going to do something. Maybe he knows she's going to test Sakura today..? What do you think, Eriol?" The reincarnation of Clow stayed silent as he walked in. Syaoran blinked, brow raised. Then he and Tomoyo followed.   
  
"Kikai..?" Sakura echoed. "Huh?"  
  
"C`mon, Mistress!" Reisei exclaimed, dragging a reluctant Kikai up the steps. Kikai stared at her, pieces of hair sticking out. "U--Um.. Well, actually I--"  
  
"You're welcomed like everyone else," Sakura chirped, smiling. Kikai blinked, then turned to the ground. "Fine," she muttered, and grabbed out her black cell from her pocket. "Who you calling?" Reisei asked. "Kiri," Kikai answered. "I'm sure he'd like to come."  
  
"Good!" Sakura exclaimed. "Kero-chan and Kiri-chan can play with each other!"  
  
The dark cardcaptor and dark moon guardian sweatdropped.   
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"It's cool that everyone could make it!" Tomoyo said cheerfully, sipping her tea. Sakura nodded in agreement. After they had gotten home, she called Eriol and Syaoran to come over and they did, then she made some tea and got out cakes for everyone to eat.  
  
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Sakura asked the solem girl Kikai looked up in surprise, then turned her head to the side, eyes closed. "I'm merely here because Reisei and Kiri wished to be here," she said nonchantly. Sakura smiled, sweatdropping, and turned to look at Kero, who was desperately trying to out-fly Kiri.   
  
"Here, Kero-chan!!" cried out Kiri, holding a HUGE puffball with who knows what stuffed inside, trying to catch up with the sun guardian. "I made these for you since you like them!!" Kero eyed them from ahead, and shook his head ferverntly. "Like hell I'll eat those!!" he yelled. "I swear, you put bugs in that thing!"   
  
"I did not," Kiri protested, cheeks red and puffed out. "I just put in some cream..ice cream..chocolate..pudding..apples...cherries..orange..strawberries..blueberries..fish.."  
  
Kero's eyes went bigger than saucers. "No wonder it's so big," he muttered under his breath, feeling sick. Even HE wouldn't dare eat THAT.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura got up. "Be right back," she said, and walked upstairs and into her room. She rummaged around her desk but couldn't find it. "I wonder where I put that little present for Yue-san.." she mumbled to herself, shuffling around with papers. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, and stared at the desk. "Where is it??" she demanded the desk. "I know I put the present on you, so it has to be on you!" She walked to her window and stared out from it. "I know it's here somewhere.." she whispered. "..Yue..san.. I hope he likes the present I got him.. But then again, why get my hopes up? I don't believe he likes material things.."  
  
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't feel the powerful aura until it was too late.   
  
"What the--" Her sentence was cut short as she screamed in pain, for an enormous amount of energy slammed into her with great force and knocked her out the window. She hit the ground hard, and loss consciousness at impact.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura opened her eyes to the familiar settings of her dreams. Standing atop a building, staring at Tokyo Tower. Her Sakura Cards fell around her, and both Cerberus and Yue were standing beside her.  
  
There was a girl standing on Tokyo Tower, her hand holding her staff. ~Kikai,~ she realized. But something was different about her. Instead of the mocking smile Sakura was used to seeing when she saw Kikai in her dreams, the blue-eyed girl was staring at Sakura with a serious, grim expression. ~Wha...~  
  
Then her gaze switched over to a boy. The same boy that was in her dream last night. He stared menicingly at her, red eyes boring into her emerald ones.  
  
"Dare.. Anata wa..dare?"  
  
The boy smiled.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
She woke up.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Let me get some things straight. I am not sorry for taking so long to write this, and I am not going to just listen to someone who says "UPDATE NOW OR I'LL BLAST YOUR ASS TO HELL BITCH". To the person who told me that ("Sakura Princess"(anonymous review)), be patient. If you want me to finish it faster, too bad. You're not a writer. And if you are, we write on two different levels. Oh, and, ever heard of "Writer's Block"? Would YOU want to finish a fic after someone told YOU to "UPDATE NOW OR I'LL BLAST YOUR ASS TO HELL BITCH"? I actually thought of not posting this chapter, just because of you. But that would be unfair to the other people who are waiting patiently. I've had some problems of my own that I had to deal with, so fuck off.  
  
Okay! Glad to get that out of my way.   
  
Thank you to ALL of the people who waited PATIENTLY for me to write and post this chapter. I hope to get the tenth chapter out soon because I'm on a roll. Yay! ^________^ 


	10. Testing

Testing The Sakura Card Mistress  
Ten- Testing  
by Sakura Maxwell  
  
  
Notes: I'm not pleased with this chapter. I think it's too broken up and abrupt. It sucks! I started 1/3 of it a long time ago, left it, then started the 2/3 today. The battle parts with Kikai and Sakura were written back last year August or so. That's pretty bad, eh? I had the battle planned out before this was. x.x;; That's why it probably won't make much sense. ....Pity me. Try reading it and see if you understand. I'm curious..O_o;;  
  
I also noticed I had a SHIT LOAD of typos in the 9th chapter. Wow! X_x;; Hope I don't have too many in here. (Yea, right..*coughcough*)  
  
-  
  
  
  
  
Sakura snapped her eyes open. "Sore wa yume--"  
  
"Sakura-chan!"   
  
"Sakura-san!"  
  
"Sakura-san!"  
  
"Sakura!"  
  
"Sakura-sama!"   
  
Sakura blinked and saw the worried faces of Tomoyo, Eriol, Syaoran, and Cerberus. ~But I swear I heard Yue's voice..~   
  
"Daijoubu?" the moon guardian asked softly from behind. Sakura tried to push herself off the hard ground, but her sprained wrist caused her slip back down. She winced in pain. "Itaiii.." Yue slipped his arms under Sakura's and lifted her up. She leaned against Yue.  
  
"Daijoubu desu ka, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked, her voice almost a shrill. Sakura smiled wearily. "Ha-Hai," she answered. Eriol frowned at her sprained wrist. "You can't fight with an injury," he mumbled under his breath. Sakura blinked. "What?" Eriol shook his head. "Nevermind." He held Sakura's sprained wrist and muttered something, then placed her hand down gently. Sakura blinked again and lifted it up. "Sugoi!" she exclaimed. "It's better!!" She turned to look at Eriol. "Arigatou, Eriol-kun!" Eriol smiled at her, though the smile was forced. ~You'll need every part of you at top shape to fight, Sakura-san..~  
  
"What happened?" Cerberus asked. Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. I was standing by my window after inviting everyone over for tea, and then a powerful aura slammed straight into me and caused me to fall." Cerberus raised a brow, and looked at Yue. Yue nodded slightly, as if agreeing with Cerberus' expression.   
  
"And be unconscious," Syaoran muttered. "Did you recognize the aura?" Sakura shook her head. "No.. I didn't. I've never felt that kind of aura before.. It was so...powerful..frightening.."  
  
"Ima wa..."  
  
Everyone snapped their heads up, startled, because they forgot Kikai was there, since she was being so quiet.   
  
She turned to face Sakura. "Release," she whispered, almost inaudible. The long, sleek grey staff appeared in her hand. "The time has come. Tsumetai, Kiri Okami, I command you to reveal your true forms!"   
  
Reisei and Kiri floated above the ground as gusts of clouds surrounded them. Two pairs of glossy black wings covered them, and when the wings fell back, Tsumetai and Kiri Okami were standing in their true forms.  
  
Kikai whipped out a card. "Dark Create!"   
  
Grey wisps of cloud swirled around and shot out in every direction. Sakura was lifted into the air, and she felt as if she was disappearing. She looked down at her hands. She was disappearing. "Hoooeeee!!" she screamed, freaked. She was getting more and more transparent.  
  
"SAKURA!!" Cerberus and Yue shouted. The frantic moon guardian reached out to try and grab Sakura. But he felt nothing. His mistress was gone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura stepped back fearfully. The world she was now in was totally beyond what she would have imagined. It looked like it was from ancient ruins. There was high stairs made of stone in front of her and it was all grey and dark. And every so steps there was two stone pillars on the sides and one on the top.  
  
She glanced around, feeling afraid. She couldn't sense Cerberus or Yue anywhere near her. Then one cold aura hit her and she looked up.  
  
Kikai was standing on one of the pillars. She had the Dark Sword in her hand and she was looking down at Sakura, her face covered in shadows.   
  
"Where is Yue?!" demanded Sakura, clutching her staff. "Where are you hiding him!" Kikai bent down and jumped off the pillars and landed behind Sakura with no noise.   
  
Without a word, she held out the Dark Sword in front of her, straight at Sakura's face. Even though Sakura always saw Kikai with an emotionless face, she couldn't help but step back. ~Why.. I.. I have to fight her..~  
  
Suddenly Kikai's lips curved into a smirk and her eyes narrowed playfully. "Ima wa..," was what she whispered, so soft, so silent Sakura almost didn't hear it. Kikai raised the Sword and slashed down. A wind started to pick up.  
  
"Jump!" cried out Sakura and jumped backwards, the two wings appearing at her ankles. Kikai was already running towards her, Sword held back, ready to strike.   
  
Sakura started running up the stairs. Kikai wasn't far behind. She lashed out her sword again and barely missed Sakura's neck, making contact with her shirt and ripping it open slightly.   
  
"The Watery!" Kikai's voice shouted as a strong wind blew right through them. "Everytime I looked in water I saw you! And what you were thinking, therefore I know what you did!"   
  
Sakura gasped in surprise. ~So this is what Kero-chan meant! She will tell me how she used the cards! ~  
  
"Augh!" Sakura yelped, using her arm to shield the dust the wind was throwing at her. Again, the Sword narrowly missed her.   
  
"The Dark!" Kikai's voice was now more of a cruel laughter than a shout. "Because Yue resembles Darkness I was able to use the Dark Card to know wherever he was!"  
  
~That's right!~ Sakura realized as she stumbled over a step. ~The two times she knew Yue was close by!~   
  
~"No, of course not. Do you think I'm stupid enough to attack you in the open? Let alone when your guardian is watching you?"~  
  
~"To think that you can't even *sense* him when he's so *close* is not good," Kikai muttered. Sakura faltered a bit, instantly knowing Kikai was talking to her. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Sense who?"  
  
"Yue.." she whispered, almost disdainfully.~  
  
Sakura held her wand closer to her chest. "Yue.. Where are you?" she asked in a whisper.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cerberus took in his surroundings. It looked much like Clow's mansion grounds, where the cherry tree that had not blossomed, blossomed because of Clow Reed's magic. But, he remembered everything being alive. The place he was in..everything was dead. The grass snapped under his paws, and the cherry tree was just a lifeless brown tree, branches sticking out everywhere, with no blossoms whatsoever.  
  
"What the hell.. What kind of place is this?"  
  
"A kind of place where we can fight," answered a deep voice.  
  
Cerberus snapped his head up to the dead cherry blossom tree. Kiri Okami was standing there, obviously Cerberus had not seen him before. Kiri Okami jumped down and landed in front of the lion. "Finally," the black-blue wolf said. "Finally, I am able to fight with you." Cerberus narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?" he questioned. Kiri Okami answered, "I have always wanted to fight you. I want to see how powerful you really are, Cerberus, guardian of the Seal."  
  
The sun guardian's tail flicked in annoyance. "So, you want to see how powerful I am, do you?" he asked, tone caught between seriousness and mockery. "Then let's go!" Kiri Okami smirked, then opened his mouth and blue-grey mist sprayed out. Cerberus sweatdropped. "That's all you can do--" His mouth stopped moving. The mist had fallen over his entire face, and now his face was frozen. Kiri Okami smirked again. "Tut tut, Cerberus. Don't underestimate me," he mocked, and headbutted the lion.   
  
Cerberus fell back. He summounded the hot angry fire in his mouth, and melted the freeze away, fire blazing straight at the mist wolf. Kiri Okami dodged, jumping to his right and counter-attacking with another mouthful of mist. Cerberus fired back with more flames. The two elements collided and exploded. Both sun guardians jumped back.  
  
"This will be interesting.." Kiri Okami said, eyes full of mischief.  
  
"I'm sure it will be.." replied Cerberus, eyes matching the wolf.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yue's eyes snapped from right to left, taking in his new settings. ~What the hell happened..~ he thought angrily. ~This testing.. Why can't I watch Sakura-sama be tested? What if that girl kills her.. No! I won't think like that! Sakura-sama is far too powerful to be beaten by a bratty girl like Kikai..~  
  
"So you think my mistress is a brat?" asked a voice from behind.   
  
Yue whipped around and came face to face with Tsumetai's amused expression. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Where am I?!" he demanded. Tsumetai laughed silently and answered, "Don't be so angry, Yue. This is just part of the testing. You are in another demension. It is neccessary for both guardians and master..or mistress in this case.. to be seperated and tested individually."  
  
"Tested individually?!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"That's right," Kiri Okami answered, still smirking at Cerberus' bewildered expression. "You have to be worthy of being the guardian for the Sakura Cards, and your mistress."   
  
"But Clow nor Eriol said anything about us being tested!" the golden lion exclaimed. "This isn't how the testing is supposed to go!"   
  
Kiri Okami frowned, then laughed. "How stupid are you, Cerberus?" he asked in a serious tone. "Clow had a reason for not telling you about being part of the testing." Cerberus asked, "Then what was his reason?!" Kiri Okami closed his eyes. "Because even Clow himself did not know this was going to happen."  
  
Cerberus blinked, eyes wide, and stepped back. "Wha-What do you mean?! Clow was the one who made the Dark Clow Cards! He planned out everything! Just like with Sakura!"  
  
"He did not plan for Sakura to fall in love with Yue. He planned for her to fall in love with Yukito, but because she loves Yue, things got a tad bit more complicated. The Mistress or Master of the Dark Clow Cards was supposed to test the physical and emotional strength of the Clow Card Master or Mistress. However.."  
  
"However..?!"  
  
Kiri Okami's eyes stared coolly at Cerberus. (Think Noin, people! Demon Knight Noin from Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne!) "..What Sakura is being tested on is entirely different.."  
  
Cerberus's eyes widened. "..Wh..What the hell does that mean?! What is Kikai testing her on?!"  
  
Kiri Okami's eyes flashed. "You'll find out.. After you defeat me!" he exclaimed, shooting out an assault of mists.  
  
"Kck.." Cerberus leaped out of the way. 'Sakura.. Watch out..'  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hahaha, this is too much fun!" Tsumetai exclaimed cheerfully, flying icicles at the moon guardian. Yue flew up and quickly summonded his bow and arrow. He took aim and fired. Tsumetai glanced at him, turned around, and hurled a wave of icicles at it; the arrow froze over and Tsumetai caught it. "Yue is so weak that even a single arrow can't hit me.. Tsk tsk!" she chided aloud, eyes closed, brows up, talking like a disappointed mother.   
  
Yue: *bending down on the ground swirling a stick around silently*  
Tsumetai: Ohohohoho!  
Yue: ..Freak..  
Tsumetai: ...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kikai's slashes became more frequent. She brought her sword down, always closer to the target. Then the blade sliced open Sakura's sleeve and skin. Sakura cried out in pain as the blood just spurt out and leaked down. But still she ran. She wouldn't give up that easily.   
  
Then she heard Kikai laughing calmly yet it still creeped Sakura out. "The Sweet!" she said, slashing and slashing, "was able to let me see who you loved! And it let me know what was your weak POINT!" When she said 'point', she leaned in and the blade went right between Sakura's stomach and arm. It scraped her side and arm.   
  
Sakura gritted her teeth together. "I..don't..care..." she said with great effort. She turned around and jumped high in the air. Raising the staff high above her head, she called out, "WOOD!" and slammed the star against the card. The green feminine spirit swirled out of the card and around Kikai, forming branches around her arms and waist and legs. Soon Kikai was totally restrained.  
  
Sakura bent down and waited for her breath to catch up with her. She pushed herself up with the aid of her staff and took a look at Kikai. The cold-hearted Card Captor was merely staring at her with cool amused eyes, as if telling her to go on.  
  
So she did. She gathered her energy and after much panting and suffering, made it to the top.   
  
What greeted her made her gasp in horror.  
  
"Yue!" she screamed out. Yue was bound to a curved stone wall by ribbons that were so tight they cut through his light skin. Sakura felt tears leak out of her eyes at the sight of the one she loved being hurt like that. She ran up to him and looked up. "Yue.. Yue, are you okay? Yue, please say something!" she pleaded, crying.  
  
Yue's eyes fluttered open and he looked down. "Sa..Saku..Sakura..?" he asked in disbelief. Sakura nodded in happiness, wrapping her arms as best as she could around the winged guardian. Yue's cheeks went pink but he sighed blissfully. "Sa.."   
  
Sakura glanced up at him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Yue.." she mouthed and leaned up. She closed her eyes and placed her lips against his. Yue's eyes brimmed with tears as he returned the kiss.   
  
Reluctantly, Sakura pulled away. "Yue.." she whispered. "I.." Yue smiled a little and said, "Sakura.." Sakura looked back up at him and then her face got serious again.   
  
"Sword!" she commanded, and Sword replaced her staff. With one quick swift cut, the ribbons that bound Yue fell to the cold stone. Sakura immediately dropped her staff and caught Yue as he fell.   
  
"Dai..Daijoubu desu ka?" Sakura asked in pure concern. Yue ignored the pain searing all over him and managed to say, "Yes, I'm fine." Sakura laid him down and picked up her wand. "Don't worry, Yue," she said, standing up. "I'll make sure you won't get hurt anymore!"  
  
"And how do you plan to do that?" an icy voice inquired.  
  
Sakura spun around and Yue turned his head. "Kikai!" they exclaimed in unison.   
  
Kikai had her share of scratches and marks on her wrists caused by the wood's tight branches. "How did you get out of the Wood's grip?!" Sakura asked angrily.  
  
Kikai tapped the tip of her staff on the ground and answered coolly, "Very. Simple. All I did was twist my wrist and slice the first branch off. It was enough to let me get free of the entire plant."   
  
It was then that Sakura noticed Kikai's right wrist was hanging limply. "You..twisted it?" she asked, wincing. Kikai started laughing. "Foolish girl, you get used to pain when you have the stubborness of a mule," she said. "But it's time for the finale."  
  
Sakura got ready.   
  
"The Light Card.. Was my target. The Light Card.. Represents..Yue."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. "What?! From Yue?!"  
  
Kikai raised her head and answered, "Of course from Yue. Though his symbol is Yin, darkness, he lit you up inside everytime you saw him. It didn't matter what represented him." Kikai looked straight at Sakura. "It mattered on how you felt about him."  
  
With her limp hand, she took out a card. "It is time for your test to end, Kinomoto Sakura, Mistress of the Sakura Cards. You lose!" Kikai shouted. She twirled the staff with her left hand and brought it up to the card.  
  
"DEATH!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
This would be such a great cliff hanger, wouldn't it? LOL! Nah.. I'll let you read the rest. ^_^;;...  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura's eyes went big as saucers. "No!" she screamed.   
  
Black whisps of clouds surrounded Kikai and like how the Windy always comes from the card, a female shape burst from it. It was entirely dressed in black. The figure wrapped itself around Kikai and a violent black thunder crackled from within.   
  
Sakura covered her face with her arms. "Ahhhh!!" she cried out.   
  
The thunder ended and Sakura opened her eyes. Then she blinked, eyes going wider. "What in the world.."  
  
Kikai was floating above the ground. Her head was bent, eyes closed. A silver crown circled her head. Her body was covered in a huge black robe with a silver tie hanging loosely around her waist. The sleeves of the robe were so long they fell on the ground. Her hands were covered in white gloves and in them was a long, narrow and deadly looking scythe.   
  
Sakura stared in awe at the weapon that could easily slice her into numerous pieces. There was gold and black metallic designs on the upper part of the silver scythe. The blade curved wickedly and the tip was so sharp and pointed Sakura had to glance away.   
  
Finally the wings. The two devil wings the hanged over her form, covering her face in shadow. So pitch black and full of detail.  
  
Sakura was amazed at how deadly she had becomed. "Ki..Kikai.." she whispered.   
  
Kikai's head tilted up. Sakura bit her lip. Then the devil's eyes flashed open, glowling an evil blue. Sakura gasped and stepped back. "Wha..What is that?" she asked. Yue winced and said through gritted teeth, "She..used..the Death.. Sak..Sakura..please.. Ki o tsukete.." He winced a final time and went still. Sakura stared at him. "Yue.. YUE!"   
  
Her eyes squeezed shut, tears flooding down her cheeks. She turned to the combined form of Kikai and Death and screamed with rage, "I'm the one you want so come and get me!"  
  
Kikai's head raised fully, exposing her even paler face and blood red lips. She raised the scythe above her head and twirled it. Then she slashed slowly at first, then as soon as Sakura was about to dodge, Kikai's speed quickened and she slashed the scythe straight across Sakura's stomach.  
  
Sakura flew back, hitting the stone. She layed limp. Kikai didn't bother with her and turned around in time to grab Sakura's foot and throw her against her double.   
  
The real Sakura stood up. The Sakura with the wound turned into blue whisps of cloud and turned back into a card. ~Mirror.~  
  
Sakura spun her staff and brought out a different card. "Bubbles!" she cried out, and tons of bubbles started to surround Sakura and Kikai.   
  
Kikai turned her head, looking for the other Card Mistress. Then..  
  
"SHOT!"   
  
Sakura released Shot and it began shooting at Kikai. Kikai's eyes narrowed as she flew up, down, sideways and any other way she could to dodge the pieces of power aiming at her repeatedly. Then a shot hit her arm and tore through the sleeve of the black robe and revealed white. White, white skin.  
  
~It's like she just died..~ Sakura thought, running to the other side of Kikai. She gripped her staff. ~Now what do I do.. ~  
  
She looked at Kikai. The Shot was going at her. Kikai raised her scythe and brought it down roughly on the pink bullet and sent it ramming into the ground. Shot crackled and disappeared. Kikai turned on Sakura.   
  
"Ah.." Sakura said, "Jump!" and two small wings attached to her ankles.   
  
Kikai flew over and swung the scythe at Sakura with amazing and blinding speed. Sakura pushed off the ground and landed on a pillar. Kikai slashed her scythe in Sakura's direction and a blade of power left the weapon and hit Sakura.   
  
Sakura jumped up enough to escape total injury but her left arm and waist got cut. Her arm was the most damaged. She landed on the ground and tried to catch her breath.   
  
She saw Kikai swing her scythe, creating a black wind-fire, and sent it at Sakura. Sakura hastily summoned Shield. The faint green bubble surrounded her and the wind-fire hit. It was pressing against the Shield and Shield started to crack. Sakura's eyes widened and she ran out of the Shield and called Jump, leaping backwards away as the wind-fire exploded.  
  
She landed next the unconscious Yue. Her eyes narrowed at Kikai and gritted her teeth together in frustration.  
  
~Just how am I supposed to beat her?! Argh, she's just too strong! ..What did Eriol-kun say...~  
  
~"You will never be able to beat Kikai if you don't beat her at her best ability."~  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. ~That's right! Eriol-kun said I can only beat her if I defeat her at her strong point! ..But.. What is her strong point?~ She tried to think of anything Kikai did to her, and tried to ignore Death's mocking face like when she caught Fight.  
  
All the images of Kikai holding Dark Sword appeared in Sakura's mind.  
  
"That's it!" she cried out. "Sword!" Wand transformed into a sword and she pointed it at Kikai. "I challenge you to a duel!"  
  
Kikai's eyes narrowed, then held the scythe high and for a second Sakura thought Kikai was going to slice her to pieces. But black whisps of cloud started to disappear from Kikai until she was back to normal, holding the now Dark Sword high.  
  
"I accept that challenge," Kikai said and instantly ran at Sakura, swiping her sword at her legs. Sakura jumped up and backflipped. "Damnit, I can't use any other magic," she mumbled. "Hoee!!" She barely dodged another attack.  
  
Kikai brought the sword down on Sakura's and pushed her down. "You can't win," she hissed, pressing harder. Sakura winced. ~I can't keep this up.. My wounds.. They hurt..~ Sakura let her sword go limp and pulled away as Kikai's sword made contact with the ground. The tip struck and Kikai yanked it out.   
  
"Die!" she yelled, slashing at Sakura's side. Sakura went the other way tried hitting Kikai's stomach but she jumped in the air. "Where is she?!" Sakura asked no one. "Ah!" Kikai came down and her sword clashed with Sakura's. Sakura narrowed her eyes and tried not to fall on her knees. "Ugh.."  
  
Kikai's eyes narrowed to slits and put more pressure on the sword and caused Sakura to cry out a little.   
  
With all her strength, Sakura pushed her sword up and threw Kikai off. She landed a few feet away but didn't hesitate. She came running back with speed and agility and the two engaged in slashes and swiping at each other.  
  
"I must ask you a question," Kikai said, brining her sword at Sakura. She blocked and managed to say, "What is it..?" Kikai smirked and slashed at Sakura's feet. Sakura backflipped.  
  
"I want to know," said Kikai, walking towards Sakura, "why you love Yue so much." Sakura's cheeks blushed a little. "Why do you want to know?!" she demanded.  
  
"Just curious."  
  
Sakura narrowed her eyes. ~Just curious?! What does she mean..?!~ "I.. I love Yue so much because.. He's nice and comforting! And he has a loving heart, it's just he didn't have anyone to fall in love with! He was always locked in the Clow Book, and never had any time to be free. Now that he is, I think he's friendly. He always looks out for me, and cares for me. He.."  
  
Kikai raised a brow and stopped walking. "That's what attracts you to him?" she asked. "And are those the reasons you love him? Are you being honest?"   
  
Sakura blinked in confusement.  
  
~'Are you being honest'? What does she mean?~  
  
Kikai sensed Sakura's confusion. She smiled, looking to the ground with her eyes closed. (No, ppl, not like how Xelloss or Yamazaki smiles..o.O;;) "Is that what really attracts you to him?" she asked again. "Are those the true reasons to why you love him?" Sakura blinked. "..I..don't understand..what you mean.." she replied. Kikai's smile widened a little. "Sakura, be honest. Be honest with your heart. Tell me, why do you love Yue so?"  
  
Sakura closed her eyes. ~Why do I love Yue so much..? That.. That I..~  
  
"That..I don't know.." Sakura answered softly.   
  
Kikai opened her eyes. "Very good.. Well done, Mistress of The Sakura Cards.." she said. Sakura blinked again. "Hoe? What do you mean?" Kikai looked up at Sakura.  
  
"You have passed my test."  
  
Sakura stared. "Ho..Honto ni?!" she asked in an excited voice. Kikai closed her eyes and smiled, nodding. (Yesh, now she smiles like Xelloss and/or Yamazaki..) "You have proven to me that you sincerely love Yue with all of your heart, mind, body, and soul."  
  
Sakura yet again blinked in confusion. "I..did?" she asked, lost. "How? I couldn't tell you. I don't know.."   
  
"And that is why I know you sincerely love him."  
  
Sakura blinked. "..Because I don't know why I love him is how you can tell I love him?" she asked. Kikai nodded. "The love you feel for Yue is pure and true. Your heart cannot be controlled. Emotions cannot be controlled. Therefore, not knowing why you love Yue assures me that you, infact, do love him with every part of you," she answered. Sakura's eyes lit with joy, and she smiled. "Arigatou, Kikai-san!" she exclaimed, throwing herself at the blue-eyed girl and hugging her. Kikai stumbled back a bit in surprise, then smiled. "Don't thank me," she said. "Thank your heart."  
  
Sakura nodded.   
  
Kikai held up her staff. "Dark Mirror, Illusion, and Create!" she said. "You may return!"  
  
At once, everything surrounding the two girls disappeared.   
  
  
  
  
AHAAA! Yes! Finished! Finally! Wooo! How was THAT?! DIDN'T EXPECT THAT, DID YA?! ..Eh? You did? O.O;; ..Damn, I suck. *saunters off*  
  
Wooden sign stuck in the ground: Please review! ..Sakura needs to be praised. (She needs to be smashed with tomatoes.)   
  
Another sing stuck in the ground: Sakura drew some scenes from this chapter! Should she put these ugly horrific drawings on the web for y'all to see? E-mail or say it in the review! 


End file.
